I began the week by making a profile sheet for one of our clients so that it can be given to team officials overseas. It is our hope that we can find him a team to play on this season. The profile sheet basically involved finding career stats for the player, compiling video for the player, and writing a short blurb on his recent accomplishments. I was not involved in the video portion, but did compile the stats and write the blurb.

I was also involved with getting a company NCAA pool going for employees/clients via Facebook. I friended a lot of clients and invited them to join the pool. Many of our clients were happy to join. After yesterday’s games, it is impossible to know what’s going to happen. So far after the first day, Darren is in first, but I’m only one game behind.

I also completed various other tasks. One of our advisee’s had a question regarding whether composite or two part bats will be legal next season in the NCAA or whether single part bats will only be allowed. I emailed the NCAA individual associated with bat questions. So far I have not received a response. If anyone does know the answer, I’d be happy to hear it. We also received a message from a high schooler looking for an international team to play on this summer before entering college. I did some research and emailed some individuals, but really did not find a good answer for the player. It appears he might be too old for the opportunities that do exist for summer international play.

But despite not being successful on these two questions, I did have some success this week. I managed to get two of our clients endorsement deals with some product companies. Darren had given me a list of companies to contact regarding endorsements. I emailed many of these companies explaining who I was, what we had to offer, and why they should go with our clients. I received a response from a company and also an agreement. I passed the information along to Darren so he could look it over. I acted as sort of a liaison between Darren and the individual from the company as they negotiated the terms. In addition, I also got to look over the contract and give my input on what I thought. It was a great opportunity, as I got to finally put some of my law school skills to work in the sports industry. I had taken a contracts drafting class, which greatly familiarized me with the different parts of the contract. I am also currently taking a Sales class which helped me asses the warranties section. Hopefully my insight was helpful.

In addition to this company, I also might have set up a deal with another product company for a different client. They weren’t able to offer much in ways of compensation, but did offer product. The company was willing to send a sample product for our client to try out before we decide to make a deal. This is important, because you don’t want to sign a product deal for a client and then have the client not be comfortable in the product. Hopefully this deal also turns into something beneficial for our client.

Besides these developments, I also did my usual updates for college players and also helped out a fellow intern with the updates for our high school player watch list. Without giving any names, we did have two college players have tremendous offensive weekends last weekend. Most of the players on our list are having great seasons and hopefully some of them decide to sign with our company.

In closing, I had quite a busy week last week, but it was an exciting week. I finally got involved in a deal for our clients and saw first hand what goes into creating relationships with companies. This experience will help as I try to get my foot further in the door in this industry. Until my next post, have a great week.

March and April are two of the busiest and most exciting months for sports fans.  Between the NCAA Men’s and Women’s basketball tournaments, the NFL draft, and Major League Baseball getting underway, there is always something to watch on TV.  These months also bring NCAA hockey playoffs and, inevitably, the conclusion of seasons for those that do not make it further.  With the end of the NCAA hockey season comes signing of players to professional contracts.  This is a pivotal moment in many players’ careers because, much like a football player declaring himself eligible for the draft, once a hockey player makes the decision to forgo collegiate eligibility, there is no turning back.

One of the most discussed players in the coming days and weeks will certainly be Jordan Schroeder from the University of Minnesota.  Schroeder was drafted #22 overall in the 2009 draft and fans of the Vancouver Canucks know him as a future franchise forward.  According to recent reports, Schroeder will inform both the University of Minnesota and Vancouver of his decision by the end of this week.  While Schroeder had mild success at the collegiate level, he admits that it he was disappointed with his production.  After a successful two-year career with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) and an equally successful three-time campaign representing the U.S. at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in 2008, 2009, and 2010, Schroeder will almost certainly have success at the NHL level.

If he decides to sign an NHL contract, Schroeder will definitely not be the only NCAA Division I hockey player to make the early jump to the professional ranks in the coming weeks.  Several players have already decided to turn pro and are already playing at minor league levels, and for some, the NHL level.  For example, Casey Wellman, a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts, signed with the Minnesota Wild earlier this week and should see playing time by sometime this weekend.  Wellman followed the path of the starter for the Los Angeles Kings and Olympic backup, Jonathan Quick, who left UMass as a sophomore in 2007.  Soon to follow Wellman to the pros is James Marcou, a junior and also from UMass, whom is reported to be signing a professional contract in the coming weeks.

With turning pro, there are several factors for players to weigh.  Under NCAA Article 12.1.2, student-athletes are prohibited from being paid for playing their respective sport.  This means that a once a player turns pro and starts receiving compensation for playing time, there is no turning back to a collegiate career, even if their pro career is unsuccessful.  While there is a certain allure to being paid to play, players must also keep in mind the best interests of their future development.  All of this information is certainly a lot to consider for a player that is generally around 20 years-old.

On Monday, March 15, the NCAA did its best to assist student-athletes with the decision process by issuing an informational memo to “Men’s Ice Hockey Student-Athletes with Remaining Eligibility.”  Almost every player in the position to turn pro will have an advisor during this process, which is permitted by NCAA rules.  The March 15 memo informs players that an advisor may not “contact teams on [their] behalf to arrange private workouts or tryouts,” but may provide other valuable advice during the process.

An NCAA hockey player’s decision to turn pro is unique in that unlike with the NFL, where players must wait several months between deciding to turn pro and actually being able to play, hockey players that make the same decision, can play almost immediately for a professional team.  For some players, this means going right to the NHL, for others this means starting at other minor league levels, such as the AHL or ECHL.  The professional level at which they play will be a combination of their skills, their player contract, and certain NHL CBA stipulations.

Regardless of whether Schroeder turns pro, this is an exciting time for players that want to see their careers taken to the next level.  What other players do you think will leave early for the pros after their hockey season ends?

Ever since I realized I would not be the ‘shining star’ on the court as I always wanted to be (rather a warm body on the bench), I have wanted to become a ‘Sports Agent.’ If Jerry Maguire taught us anything, it is that being a sports agent is cool. Well, maybe that’s only partially true.

So what’s my opinion on becoming a sports agent? Perception is sometimes different than reality.

Many people on the ‘outside,’ believe that it is all about money, fame, big-time negotiations, and guest appearances at pro sidelines, but in actuality it is more so about the core-fundamentals of both business and law. You are a business person.

It’s tough to get into this business – I’ve sent emails, letters, networked, reverse-networked, you name it, and have received a low yield of replies. For someone who has tossed around the idea of a career in sports more times than TO (Terrell Owens) has jumped teams, I have concluded one thing: You must provide some type of value to get in and stay in this business. If you can’t do something for someone, then they really don’t want you.

It’s hard to hear, but it’s true.

Some people are just not cut out for this role in the sports or even entertainment industry – you must have something driving you, a voice, a calling, a passion, compelling you to get up each and every morning and fight for your beliefs and most importantly your client. I prefer to refer to a sports agent as an Advocate – you are the voice that prevails among owners, GM’s, and a slue of bad people in this world.

It may seem ‘holistic,’ and it quite possibly could be, but I believe in strong values and a stronger proposition.

If you’re thinking about exploring the route of becoming a sports agent, just remember, you must love to network, have a passion for competition, and have a greater sense of urgency to connect with others, both at a professional and a personal level.

It’s easy to spot a fake, so stay true to who you are; don’t back down from anyone or anything – the right opportunities will arise if you are persistent and patient.

]]> http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2010/03/17/a-newcomers-perspective-part-i-how-to-break-into-the-industry-%e2%80%93-and-know-it%e2%80%99s-not-for-me/feed/ 1 http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2010/03/15/2010-wnba-draft-prospects-tina-charles-and-kalana-greene/ http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2010/03/15/2010-wnba-draft-prospects-tina-charles-and-kalana-greene/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000 T. Conswello Davis http://www.sportsagentblog.com/?p=9428 March is Women’s History Month and “March Madness” for the NCAA. Therefore, it is only befitting that this article include two quotes by people whom know and understand what  life is about; conquering  adversity, defying the odds, and the importance of perseverance and determination .

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you.  If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”  - Michael Jordan

“What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come. – Oprah Winfrey.

The 2010 WNBA draft comprises women who did not give up on their quest to be the best.   Many of the ladies decided to realign and readjust how they play the game of basketball.  They learned how to overcome obstacles and become the best.  The women featured in the next series of articles exemplify perseverance, determination, and hard work along with character.

UConn continues to develop the best talent in the WNBA.  Over the last decade, UConn has sent 22 players to the WNBA.  Presently,  there are nine active players within the league.  They are looking to add two more this year; Tina Charles and Kalana Greene.

Tina Charles is a beast offensively and defensively and she will make an immediate impact in the WNBA.  She has the skills, size,  quickness, strength, and confidence, which will make her a very exciting player to watch.  Tina has experienced many ups and downs while playing under coach Geno Auriemma at UConn.  Initially, Tina wasn’t considered a dominating post player or a threat to her opponents – she had the size, but lacked the mentality and intensity.  Tina Charles had to overcome mental hurdles to play as her coach demanded.  During the 2008 NCAA tournament, Tina was benched by her coach, but she didn’t let this experience stop her from becoming a great player.   Instead, Tina Charles became the all time leading scorer at UConn.  This year, Tina surpassed Nykesha Sales’ career scoring record and Rebecca Lobo’s career rebounding record.   If you think knocking down two big records achieved by former UConn stars and WNBA players is impressive, “And One”, Tina Charles will graduate from the University of Connecticut with honors.

Tina Charles will most likely be the number one draft selection of the 2010 WNBA Draft. The Connecticut Sun has obtained the number one draft spot during the first round.  It appears Tina Charles will not be too far away from fans in Connecticut and family in Jamaica, New York.

As previously stated, Tina Charles will not be the only UConn player in the 2010 WNBA Draft. Kalana Greene will be alongside her teammate on April 8th. Kalana had the option to enter the 2009 WNBA draft with fellow teammate Renee Montgomery.   Unfortunately, Kalana injured her ACL during the 2007-2008 seasons, and she decided to return to UConn as a fifth year senior.  Kalana knew she needed to work on more of her skills, such as consistency and ball handling, as well as maturity and leadership before playing basketball on a professional level.   Kalana went through one year of rehabilitation and the next year it was all about focusing on rebuilding her physical strength and skills.  Kalana’s choices have paid off for her.  She might not be drafted as high as Tina Charles, but she will be a force to be reckoned with in the WNBA.  The experience and growth Kalana Greene achieved during the last couple of years will support any organization’s success within the WNBA.

Besides the competition, I also worked on numerous tasks for Dynasty this week. Darren has been putting in work to sign a top NFL prospect for marketing purposes. Along with the other interns, our task was to design a marketing plan in order to show the prospect exactly what Dynasty had to offer him in terms of marketing. My part involved a lot of research relating to competition and why, despite competition, Dynasty was the best option for the player.

In addition to the marketing plan, I contacted several companies regarding sponsorships for our clients. I also contacted other companies specifically to work out endorsement deals for three of our bigger baseball clients. I received responses back from a few of these companies. The response I received was quite normal, the standard “we’ll take a look at what you have given us, make a decision and get back to you as soon as we can.” Other companies have not responded yet. For some of these companies, they had no contact information for individuals that would be helpful to me, so I had to send emails to their generic email accounts. For those that don’t respond to me, my next step is to call the phone number listed and ask for someone in the marketing department.

The best advice I can give on this matter is to keep pressing to find the correct contact person and then just made an honest proposal. The worst they can do is say “no.” The best is that you get a great deal for your client. At the very least, maybe you make a contact that you can use in the future. With the economy still recovering from recession, it won’t be easy to find sponsorship deals for clients. However, if you at least make contact, when the time is right for the company to start spending money on sponsorships again, you might be at the top of their list.

In addition to these tasks, I did my regular tracking of college baseball players. There are a few guys on the list having stellar seasons and hopefully they make the right decision to go with Dynasty. One note on this assignment, I have one or two high school players to track as well as college players and I find it is incredibly hard sometimes to find stats for these kids. This week I did manage to contact one of the player’s coaches. He was very receptive and quick to respond with stats. He had no problem with me contacting him weekly to get stats on the player. If all coaches were this receptive to agent interns, it would be great.

I am ending this week working on two other side projects. I am researching a few prospects that were passed along to Darren as referrals to see if any have draft potential. I am also putting together a compilation of stats, highlights and a biography for one of our players to be sent to someone with ties to Japan. Hopefully it works out and our player can start a new chapter to his career.

So until next week, Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone.

The women that started with the WNBA were determined to help and support the WNBA’s brand, image, and fulfill dreams. Most of these ladies have retired. Players like Teresa Witherspoon, Tamecka Dixon, Jamie Carey, Rebecca Lobo, and Sheryl Swoopes are gone. Some pursued other careers and played overseas. This past year, two of the WNBA’s most infamous players decided it was time to chart a new path in life (Connie Poindexter and Lisa Leslie). The league is experiencing a “changing of the guard” or “out with the old and in with the new”. People didn’t think the league was going to last. Some people are still questioning whether it will survive. The theory is “if the women played basketball like men”, the basketball games would be more entertaining for the masses. The WNBA could charge higher ticket prices which undoubtedly increases the revenue stream for the organizations. Most importantly, the players would make higher salaries. Today, the WNBA has Lindsay Whalen, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, and Amber Holt.

Women may never be capable of playing like men.  However, the league’s development and growth has influenced the next generation of players to step up their game. Some of the women work very hard to become the best on and off the court. They believe in themselves and are confident that they can b-ball like the guys.

The 2010 WNBA Draft will have some paramount players to enter the WNBA this year. The women are really good athletes. Many of the ladies have overcome considerable amounts of adversity. There are a variety of personalities and talent. The skills are phenomenal. The women possess agility, strength, speed, focus, composure, control, and vision. They are ambitious and determined. The women love the game.

It is a pleasure and honor to write about the upcoming 2010 WNBA draft and draft prospects for SAB. The women featured from week to week are the future of the WNBA. If you have some time, please tune in to watch “March Madness” and NCAA Women’s basketball. After the NCAA tournaments, watch the televised WNBA games this season. Better yet, go and support the women. The games are fun and one can see how well the women execute fundamental basketball. Let us know your thoughts about the league and players.

Some of the men might think the women are “hard on the eyes”. Eventually, men will see beautiful women dunking balls and call it sexy!

One thing that Panama City is definitely not known for is its quality of baseball.  Pick any school in Florida, and you are bound to find some good baseball being played.  The top baseball schools include University of Florida, University of Miami, Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University, University of Tampa, Florida Southern, Chipola College…need I go on?  Pretty much pick a school in the state of Florida, and you are bound to see at least one future Major/Minor leaguer on the field.  Even Florida Gulf Coast has a kid (Chris Sale), who is projected to be a first-rounder this year.  Chris Sale is a monster on the mound, and he deserves to be taken in the 1st, but I also think that there is a gem hidden in Panama City, the destination for Spring Breakers, who also has first-round potential.  Cross off the word “Florida” in Chris Sale’s school’s name and you will find the smaller Gulf Coast Community College, where a kid named Andrew Morris is pitching his heart out.

Gulf Coast Community College has to thank Morris, because he is a huge factor in why the school is ranked #7 in the nation according to March 3rd’s National Junior College Athletic Association Top 25 Poll.  Last year, Morris was an Honorable Mention All American and named Panhandle Conference Pitcher of the Year.  My guess is that this year, Morris will be a 1st Team All American and possibly win ABCA Player of the Year.

What is so special about the 6′3, 190lbs right-handed pitching Sophomore out of Prattville, Alabama?  In his Freshman year at Gulf Coast, he went 10-2 with a 2.77 ERA.  He had more strikeouts than innings pitched, fanning 107 batters in 94 innings.  His strikeout total was more than double his number of walks (42).  And he only gave up 65 hits on the season.  In 14 appearances as a Freshman, six were complete games and one was a shutout in 14 appearances.  On April 21, 2009 Morris was named the FCCAA Pitcher of the Week after tossing a complete-game, 12 strikeout, two-hitter in a win over then-No. 9 Northwest Florida.  Morris showed up to play whether he was facing a better or weaker team.

After a strong Freshman year campaign, Andrew Morris was drafted in the 44th round by the Milwaukee Brewers.  Looking at his performance in 2009, you may ask why he slipped so far in the draft.  My assumption is that it was an instance where a player could have been picked in the top 4-8 rounds, but thought that he was not being properly valued and ended up slipping in the draft.  Anyway, Morris went out to play Summer Ball with the Slippery Rock Sliders of the Collegiate Wood-Bat Prospect League.  Morris picked up where he left off with Gulf Coast.  Once again, he struck out more batters (86) than the amount of innings he pitched (76).  A whopping 4 of the 12 games he started were complete games, and he added another shutout to his achievements.  His ERA was 2.25, and check out the opponents’ batting average against him – .182!  Not surprisingly, Morris was named an All-Star.

Now Andrew Morris is back at Gulf Coast for his final year with the team, but has already committed to Auburn, should he not sign with a professional team after this year.  The way Morris is pitching, I would think that he will jump to being taken in the top 5 rounds and get the money he deserves.  I see him as a first rounder, but that’s just my opinion.  Andrew Morris’ numbers in his Sophomore campaign are just ridiculous.  As of March 5, he has seen action in 6 games.  4 of those games were complete games, and 2 of them were shutouts.  He has 5 wins in those 6 games.  Morris’ ERA is 1.51 and opponents are only batting .160 against him.  His strikeout/walk ratio has improved, as well (58/19).  And the strikeouts are WELL above innings pitched, once again.

Can you tell that I am a fan of Morris?  I am one of the few who have been tracking Gulf Coast while others ignore the school for Panama City’s beautiful beaches.  Morris’ coach as Gulf Coast had this to say about him – “A coach’s dream, super talent combined with an unbelievable work ethic.”  Can’t beat that.  And Conor Glassey of BaseballAmerica.com wrote this about Morris on February 16, 2010 – “He throws in the 88-92 mph range and also has a good splitter and a big curveball with a lot of depth.”

One thing I noticed that some scouts may have looked over is that Morris was born on August 5, 1990.  He is one of the youngest players in his class at only 19-years-old.  I know the Brewers picked him last year, but I’d love to see my Florida Marlins bring him in.

Besides school related matters, I also did numerous tasks for Dynasty. I spent much of the week researching contacts for several sports equipment companies that Darren had given me so that we could potentially get some bats, gloves, etc. sent to our players. He also asked me to start working on finding baseball card deals for our players. There were several companies where I couldn’t find anything but a generic consumer email as a way to contact the company. I used the generic email. I am hoping to hear back from someone soon. Hopefully this information leads to our guys getting some great products to use during spring training and beyond. So far I have only heard back from one inquiry that I made regarding baseball cards. Panini America (formerly Donruss) responded to our inquiry that it only puts out one baseball product each year and it is in the fall. However, the women was familiar with our company and seemed to indicate that we may possibly get our guys come baseball cards this Fall.

I did manage to find a contact from a bat company on LinkedIn. Joining the different groups related to baseball, and sports in general, can be very valuable. It has led a contact with a bat company. The company has supplied 2 bats to our players so far. Hopefully this is the beginning of a good relationship with them. However, I am not stopping at this one bat company. There are a few other bat companies that I’ve been trying to contact, to no avail so far. If I do not hear a response back from the emails I sent this week, the next step is to call and try to talk to someone on the phone. In today’s email age, sometimes the best way to make a contact is actually via the telephone.

Other than trying to make equipment and baseball card contacts, I also did my daily updates on college players we are targeting. I emailed a few of the teams that these individuals play on to try to get them to update their statistics. Most schools update daily, but some of the smaller schools have not yet updated their scores and stats. In addition, I realized that two of the players on our watch list play relatively locally to my location in Harrisburg, Pa. One is actually playing an away game at my alma mater Lebanon Valley College in April. I am planning on at least getting to that game and perhaps more. The other individual is playing about an hour north of me near Williamsport, PA. When I indicated that I would be willing to see these guys and get some tape, Dynasty seemed happy for me to go meet the players. I have a new MinoFlip HD video camera that I want to try out and this would be the perfect opportunity.

One final note, yesterday marked the beginning of Spring Training games for most teams. Good luck to all our players as they begin a very promising baseball season for Dynasty. That about sums up my week. I am off to continue studying. Have a great weekend.