What is an Agent?
An agent is a person who
is empowered to act on your behalf. In professional sports, an agent's
primary responsibility is to represent players in contract negotiations
with sports teams and to determine market value for their client. After
contracts are signed, it is the agent's job to be vigilant and to guard
against attempted violations of player's contracts by team or league
officials, and to help players enforce and assert their contractual
rights. Agents also act as a liaison between players and their teams or
league management in administrative matters such as transfers/trades,
travel arrangements, fines or suspensions, medical problems, disputes
over playing time and any other career matters.
For professional athletes, an agent also provides critical assistance in
making career decisions. For most athletes, these decisions include
issues involving contract negotiations, developing commercial
opportunities, and guidance in making a variety of personal decisions
that affect a professional sports career. Firms likes TSM also negotiate
endorsement contracts, screen investment opportunities, provide tax and
financial planning advice, and help players provide for and secure
post-career opportunities such as coaching, player development or a new
business venture.
Why should I have an
Agent?
Professional sports today
represent an increasingly competitive and complicated arena. Recognizing
the significant benefits of professional management, very few
professional athletes choose to operate without one. Today's pro athlete
needs expert advice and guidance from people who know and understand the
intricacies of the industry firsthand, and know how to use their
expertise to insure maximum success for the athlete.
How do I choose the
right sports management company?
While there are several
factors to consider, an agent and a player must form a solid
relationship in order for the athlete's goals to be accomplished.
Accordingly, it is extremely important to choose a team of professionals
that makes the athlete feel comfortable and confident. In addition, the
level of credentials, expertise and professionalism of a management team
are vitally important. At TSM, our top-priority is to develop personal,
long-term relationships with all of our clients. We understand and
appreciate the human element involved in the selection process. Our
clients entrust us to help them make some of the most critical decisions
of their professional and personal lives. Consequently, we make it our
priority to establish the closest possible relationship with our
clients, and hope that our clients will be with us through the end of
their professional careers.
How
much does it cost to hire an Agent or Manager?
Sports management
companies like TSM are fairly inexpensive as we are only paid a
percentage of the fees and earnings generated by your contracts and
endorsements. This system is incentive-based, which insures that your
managers will work hard on your behalf and fight for every available
dollar, since they only get paid when you do! A professional and
experienced sports management agent is there to make sure the contracts
and endorsements negotiated on your behalf are the most lucrative ones
possible. This means that even after paying management fees, the
resulting net income is more than you likely would earn without an agent
or management team. This is another reason why professional management
with TSM represents a win-win situation for both us and our clients!
