What is an Agent / Player Representative?
An agent / player representative 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.
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. 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.
How do I choose the right agent and Management Company to represent me?
While there are several factors to consider, an agent and an athlete 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 Management Company?
Sports management firms 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!