Sports agents may not be directly involved in playing the game, but off the ground, it is they who play a crucial role in transfer of players from one club to the other by negotiation and sharp business acumen.
The glamor and success associated with games and sports has touched great heights. Not only the players are awarded million-dollar contracts, but even the management team, staff, coaches, and agents have the opportunity to earn hefty salaries. Welcome to the world of sports agents, a field that offers unique career opportunities coupled with some decent pay packages.
Tips to Become a Sports Agent
Becoming a sports agent is a question that intrigues many people. Many who can’t get the correct information and knowledge to be a sports agent, leave the hope of making a career in this field. Here are some tips that can help you achieve your dream.
Understand the Profession
As a sports agent, you will be expected to tour along with the team, and negotiate with various clients. Hard work and extensive traveling may often make you run out of patience, but then you have to understand that it is the requirement of the profession. So, before entering this field be very sure about yourself. You must have good negotiation skills, and an uncanny knack to crack deals amongst brokers, investors, team members, and coaches.
While some sports agents earn tens of millions, it is a fact that very few sports agents make over USD 100,000. Besides that, establishing yourself as a sports agent and maintaining a network of clients may take years, and this may be a test of patience. While the income is generally high, it is not fixed. The performance of the team impacts the profession significantly. Anybody willing to make a career in this field must consider all these points.
Which Sport You Want to Enter
If you are thinking what you need to do to become a sports agent, then the answer is , choose wisely, which sport you want to become an agent in. While names like National Football League (NFL) are a dream for every sports agent, the competition is extremely high in these leagues.
You should compare and research the average salaries sports agents get in Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Basketball Association (NBA) leagues, and depending on that you can choose. You can join some internship programs in reputed firms and institutions that will also help you to get into some good sports leagues. Many sports management firms and training centers specializing in sports agent programs provide courses that help the aspirants understand the job better.
Get Education and Certification
Better the educational profile, better the chances of earning decent pay packages. While a postgraduate degree is highly preferred and is mandatory to work with big names, like National Football League, there are others who require at least bachelor’s degree in courses like communication, kinesiology, sports ethics, and communication.
After you’re armed with the educational degree and interns, you can now research and understand the policies of different firms, check out their salaries, know about the salaries and experiences of other sports agents, etc. Then you can apply for certification as a member of the league and once you’re selected, you can build your contacts and expand your network.
The number of clients you make through contacts will determine your success. The top athletes salaries in the United States averages in the range of USD 20,000,000 and the sports agent salary is USD 600,000. Average players earn an estimated USD 1,800,000 to USD 2,800,000. The salaries of sports agents of average players is between USD 54,000 to USD 84,000. So, as you can see, while working as sports agent, you can really earn well but then the amount of hard work and patience you’ve to show, are also challenging.
Becoming a sports agent can be a real test of your negotiation skills!! So, if you believe you can be the next sports agent with some of the biggest clients within a few years, then go for this career! All the best!
