Sport Agent

A sport agent represents and promotes an athlete in particular sport to prospective employers and advertisers. Sport agents also known as sport promoters handle all the business negotiations and contract issues related to sponsorships and promotions.

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Sport agents tend to look after the general interests of the athlete and generally build up a relationship of trust with an athlete over a period of time. The agent will put together strategies to actively promote and market the athlete. This requires decisions on which strategies will be best suited for the athletes personality and circumstances. Often the relationship between agent and athlete extends to providing advice on personal matters related to career development and financial planning.

The sport agent by nature is a mediator or go-between. As such the agent will actively seek business for the athlete by coordinating guest appearances at breakfasts or presentations, media promotions or interviews, appearances at promotional campaigns and other marketing opportunities. A sports agent may charge a fee to the client on behalf of the athlete or may themselves take a commission on income earned.

An athlete’s career by nature is relatively short in duration. Similarly, most athletes are young and inexperienced in their career and financial decision making skills. The agents role in this case is to look after the long-term interests of the athlete keeping in mind that the person will not be able to perform over a certain age. This requires that an agent and athlete develop a trust relationship over a period of time.

A good agent will deal efficiently and ethically on behalf of the athlete by focusing on the contract negotiations and other business matters. At the same time they will involve the athlete in all planning decisions and will ensure that the athlete is able to make the best possible decisions related to their career. This allows the athlete the peace of mind to get on with the job of focusing on what they are good at – playing sport.

In general, sport agents and promoters:

• negotiate discussions around salaries or sponsorships
• provide legal advice to athletes
• provide advice to athletes in helping them to make the correct decisions about their career
• organise and co-ordinate events

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Personal Requirements

• excellent interpersonal skills
• written and oral communication skills
• good legal knowledge
• good knowledge of sporting codes and standards
• strong planning, organisation and leadership skills
• strong motivational skills

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Employment

Sports agents generally act as freelance agents and as such they work for themselves. However they may work for sport bodies, sport teams or sport clubs or provincial clubs.

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Getting Started

• play sport at school and tertiary study
• arrange to speak to a sport agent
• volunteer or part-time work with a sport club or body

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Programmes

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Related Occupations

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