Why having representation is important
Do I need an agent? What do agents really do? These are common questions that we often receive.
Having an agent can be very helpful. Let me explain why explain a few reasons why.
Agent's protect your time: An athlete's time is highly valuable. Every minute is either spent training or recovering from training. When an athlete gives there time to do a speaking event (virtual or in-person), clinic, photoshoot or anything that will pull them away from training - this is high value. A good agent will help filter out the opportunities that are worth an athlete's time and rate, from the deals that are not worth it. This creates professionalism for the businesses that want to work with the athlete while allowing the athlete to stay focused on their athletic goals.
A proxy for the athlete and business opportunities: Sponsorships, appearances, endorsements and even paid social media are all exciting opportunities that an athlete may encounter. These deals should be customized for each athlete and speak to their unique value proposition. If a business is unwilling to work with an athlete's agent, it's a good sign that it was a one-sided deal and you should walk.
Serve as a personal consultant: To me this is one of the most important aspects to the agent-athlete relationship. My experience has shown that athlete's often have gut feeling about a deal, they just need someone to talk scenarios through with. This is a really important service that an agent provides, even though it is not always revenue generating. During the course of an athlete's career, an agent can educate them on how to identify the best opportunities for them. They also teach the power of saying "no" or "I'll pass" (which often times can increase an athlete's value).
