Darren Heitner: What prompted you to start AthletePromotions.com?

Ryan Totka: The combination of my passion for business, sports and the Internet. There comes a day when you realize you may not make it to the pros in sports, so taking my knowledge of the Internet and being around sports on any everyday basis was the best way to fulfill this dream. Many agents don’t recognize the marketability of retired athletes because they aren’t getting that big contract anymore. Our company specializes in marketing recently retired players in all sports building them official websites and booking them for corporate appearances, speaking engagements, autograph signings and other events.

Darren Heitner: What are the positives and negatives of running your own company, specifically in the sports business?

Ryan Totka: The positives are of course working with athletes and celebrities you grew up watching and idolizing. Like I tell people, if you love what you are doing for a living, you don’t work a day in your life. Being able to bring them paid opportunities is rewarding. As far as the negatives, there really aren’t too many. I would say just screening through the numerous requests you get from people. Like any business, when you put yourself out there on the Internet, it’s just something that you learn to deal with.

Darren Heitner: AthletePromotions.com brands itself as a full-service sports marketing agency, speakers bureau, and PR agency. Since you work in a variety of capacities, does it ever make it difficult to work alongside others in the athlete’s business team?

Ryan Totka: If the athlete and their management team are smart, they realize we are bringing them opportunities that were not there before. Often times, we create new revenue streams that weren’t there before. We get numerous agents and managers that are looking for a company to really market their clients on the web and that is our speciality, making sure they get maximum exposure from potential clients as well as loyal fans.

Darren Heitner: How did you get access to thousands of retired and current athletes and how do you manage to stay in contact with such a large number of clients?

Ryan Totka: Years of building relationships. These things don’t come overnight. We only really contact the athlete or celebrity when we have a paid opportunity for them. We don’t waste anyone’s time asking them for a donation, autograph request, etc which you get everyday. Occasionally you get a charity that they may be close to and pass along to their team. There are some athletes that we work very close with and like to pitch more often to potential clients, because we know what to expect.

Darren Heitner: What is the most successful division of AthletePromotions.com?

Ryan Totka: We pride ourselves as the best out there when it comes to getting an athlete exposure on the Internet. Website development, search engine marketing, athlete branding and of course appearance booking is our core. Athletes have spent years getting where they are today from hard work along the way and we pride ourselves as doing the same. Nothing is ever handed to you. We truly understand what it took to get to the top, which is why it makes it easier to show them the attention they deserve.

Darren Heitner: AthletePromotions.com has to be one of the most extensive Search Engine Optimized sites I have ever seen. Did you build the site yourself? Do you also build sites for athletes? How did you learn about SEO?

Ryan Totka: I’ve spent over twelve years working on the Internet, building web businesses and learning how search engines work. Technology changes everyday and you gotta stay on top of it. Building sites for athletes is our specialty. We built, market and manage websites for names such as Spud Webb, Steve Garvey, William “The Fridge” Perry, Dan Fouts, Ray Lankford, Brady Anderson, Pat Williams, Dwight Howard, Nick Anderson, Dan Hampton, Danny White, Sam Fuld, Sheryl Swoopes, Thomas Hitman Hearns and more.

Darren Heitner: You have booked appearance and speaking engagements for Mark Cuban, Spud Webb, and Steve Garvey. What is it like dealing with such a variety of personalities on a day-to-day basis?

Ryan Totka: Just like the real business world, you deal with all types of unique personalities. That’s what makes life fun.

Darren Heitner: How much time do you spend traveling for business? What type of work do you accomplish on your travels?

Ryan Totka: I would say at least twice a month I am traveling. Along with our appearance bookings, I try to hit the major sporting events. Constantly being around the game creates opportunities. There is a time to be in front of a computer screen and a time to hit the field. Everyday is an opportunity to network and that’s how I’ve build my businesses along the way. You gotta move and shake.

Darren Heitner: What other businesses do you operate other than AthletePromotions.com?

Ryan Totka: My first business out of college was TornadoPromotions, a website development / search engine consulting firm. This let me work in a number of industries until I truly found my passion. Back in 2006, I also founded, RedCarpetMonday, a social business network bringing together like minded entrepreneurs and business owners, both online and offline. We host live networking events in markets such as Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta and Dallas.

Darren Heitner: For those looking for advice regarding breaking into the sports business, what can you offer?

Ryan Totka: I recently wrote a blog on my site, RyanTotka.com. This outlined the best ways to get involved in sports and possibly make it a career. This was based on my experiences along the way. Enjoy: http://www.ryantotka.com/tips-for-finding-your-dream-career-in-sports/

Interview With The Agent: Ryan Totka from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The 2012 CSRI Conference will be held April 19-21, 2012, and the organizers are currently accepting the submission of abstracts (single-spaced, 400-word maximum for 30 min presentations and 800-word maximum for 65 min presentations) for review.

The deadline for submissions is January 20, 2012.

In order for your abstract to be appropriately considered for acceptance, it must reflect college-sport research on the history of intercollegiate athletics, social-cultural college-sport issues, legal theory or the application of law to college-sport issues, business-related issues in college sport, or special topics related to current college-sport issues.

Abstracts should be submitted in Microsoft Word documents and sent to csri@unc.edu.

I have also attached the registration form for anyone who wishes to attend the event, whether they wish to submit an abstract for review or not.

CSRI 2012 Conference – Call for Papers

2012_CSRI Registration Form_1 0

2012 College Sport Research Institute (CSRI) Conference Call For Papers from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

A young-adult receives many benefits from going to college.  The education attained from living on your own for the first time, sitting in on lectures taught by the best of their trades, drinking too much certain nights, etc. is tough to learn elsewhere.  However, for talented high school baseball players, college is an experience that may be put aside…at least for the time being.  If offered a signing bonus in the 6 to 7 figure range and the opportunity to live your dream by having a chance at an early start with an MLB affiliate, how do you say no?  It’s definitely tough to decline.  But what about giving up your senior year of high school?  No prom, no homecoming, no graduation with your best friends you have known your entire life.  Is it worth it?

Bryce Harper and his parents think so.  If you think Stephen Strasburg received a lot of hype leading up to the 2009 MLB Draft, you ain’t seen nothin yet.  Baseball columnists are already speculating what kind of bonus Harper will receive when he is selected #1 overall in the 2010 Draft.  That’s right…you can already pencil his name in…he is apparently THAT good.  But again, is it worth skipping senior year of HIGH SCHOOL to be the #1 overall pick in 2010 instead of the #1 overall pick in 2011?

While the Harpers think so, a man named Landon Powell disagrees.  And he knows best, because he missed the prom to start playing pro ball a year early.  Unfortunately for Landon, that did not work exactly according to plan.  While he did not end up signing with an MLB team until many years after making his decision, Harper will undoubtedly be picked #1 overall next year.  That being said, Landon still makes a good point.

“I was still young and not making my own decisions. My dad and Boras did, and my name was getting dragged through the mud. When you tell an 18-year-old kid, ‘If you do this, you’ll get paid millions,’ any 18-year-old kid will say, ‘Yeah, let’s do that.’ I had no idea what would hang with me my whole career. I get asked every year about weaseling my way through the draft.”

I just hope that Bryce has played this important decision out many times in his own head.  Landon also had Scott Boras as an agent and both Boras and his father were advocates for him leaving high school early.  Bryce will get paid millions.  I hope that in his mind, that is fair compensation for losing the last dance.

Bryce Harper Is Growing Up Real Fast from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Xavier Henry has a brother named C.J., who is in the New York Yankees organization.  When a player signs with a club after getting drafted, often times, the MLB team will offer a signing bonus along with an additional education bonus so that if said player decides that he wants to obtain his college degree at a point in the future, the team will pay for his enrollment.  This bonus is obviously not available for a player who has graduated college and is selected after receiving his degree.  Anyway, C.J. has decided to use his educational bonus and recently became a Memphis Tiger.

C.J. will play basketball for the Tigers.  He was a solid player in high school, and actually committed to Kansas before deciding to sign with the Yankees.  Why would his brother, Xavier, not do the same exact thing?  Memphis is one of, if not the best, college basketball programs in the country.  The Tigers have expressed interest in Xavier, and I am led to believe that a big reason they want C.J. is to strengthen their chances in acquiring Xavier.  By next year, I think that you will be looking at two Henry’s proudly wearing blue and white.

Xavier Henry Will Be A Tiger from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The Rodney Guillory debacle has sounded an alarm for the O.J. Mayo’s of the future. Summer is the time of the year where future NBA stars are found and many of tomorrow’s talented players rise to the top in camps or training. The summer time is also when NBA stars (Steve Nash, for example) and college coaches all over the country hold camps for these athletes to get exposure. The camps attract many agents and individuals associated with basketball, like Rodney Guillory. Mayo claims to have met Guillory at one of these summer camps in 8^th grade.

Many amazing athletes now have to look out for people who want to take advantage of them (Helping You Lose Your Money Effectively). After O.J’s recent mistakes, many athletes are now aware of the damage it can cause to let one bad apple into their entourage. “If you let one person into your circle, they can mess everything up,” John Wall, a junior point guard from Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh (NC) said. Wall is considered one of the top players in this year’s class, and is in the same shoes that Mayo was in last year.

This is a horrible position for Mayo and others to be placed in and the one-year-out of high school NBA will only make this story more frequent. However, not all middlemen and agents are bad people, trying to take advantage of young athletes. There are always going to be Rodney Guillory’s somewhere out there, and there always have been. The  Guillory story shows us the dark side of the industry. Not all people are as mischievous as Guillory.

The Rodney Guillory effect should not cause individuals to blame agents, as BDA did not do anything illegal with Mayo (as far as we currently know). This sad story should focus on the need for more regulations and checks to be made in high school and college basketball, and amongst agents. As I said earlier, not all agents and “runners” are bad people. AAU and summer basketball attracts a lot of America’s best basketball stars, yet it is highly unregulated. Almost any Joe Shmo can walk into a gym and watch these events. That is where it all starts. The rest comes when these “runners” violate NCAA rules and give athletes money or other benefits.

Basketball camps should be arenas were athletes can show off their talent to all. They do not need to be worrying about who is watching them, especially if these individuals can get them in trouble. The athletes should focus on their game and let everything else fall in place. They get into trouble when they start finding friends like Guillory and talking to people in the industry that claim they will make them rich.

The Guillory Effect from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

(1) How long have you been playing basketball? I have been playing basketball for about 10 years now.

(2) What is your AAU team and who were your teammates? Team New Jersey Elite. The players include Tyrone Johnson (he goes to the Plainfield High School with my brother Darryl) and a couple of other people.

(3) Why did you choose St. Patrick instead of Plainfield, where your twin brother, Daryll plays? I chose St. Pats because I believe that going there would allow me to excel in the classroom and Coach Boyle would get me ready for the next level.

(4) Do you and Daryll have a close relationship? Who usually wins when you play 1-on-1? Yes, I have a good relationship with my brother. Sometimes he wins and sometimes I win, but most of the times it’s me. HA HA HA!

(5) Playing for the #2 rated team in the nation and a traditional high school basketball powerhouse, tell us what it is like playing for St. Patrick? It’s a very good experience. I like it! It’s a good school you should go to if you want to get a lot of exposure. It has been great for me. I like it more than anything.

(6) Where do you think you will fit in this ultra-talented freshman rotation? I think I would fit in as the 2-guard, and Shaquille Stokes would play the point guard. So I should fit in perfectly.

(7) How do you think the frosh class this year will help replace last year’s standout Corey Fisher (now at Villanova) and complement the outstanding starting-5 that is returning for St. Patrick? We should have a lot of talent that will replace Corey. But it’s going to be tough because he was one of the best on the team last year.

(8) Last year, St. Patrick (30-2) captured its 2nd consecutive New Jersey State Tournament of Champions Title and 4th overall. What chance do you give St. Patrick to make it a 3-peat? I believe we have a very good chance of doing it again. With our talent and our speed, we should be unstoppable.

(9) St. Patrick came pretty close last year to finishing the year as the nation’s top-rated high school basketball team (closing out the season #2 in the nation according to USA Today). What is the prospect that St. Patrick, rated #3 in the country by USA today, can jump Oak Hill Academy and Duncanville (Texas) in the national rankings to grab the #1 ranking this year? Well this year it’s going to be tough because Brandon Jennings from Oak Hill is still there and they are tough. I heard that Duncanville is pretty good this year, but we should make it to that #1 spot.

(10) The roster for St. Patrick is absolutely stacked: 6-8 PF Quintrell Thomas, who is headed to Kansas; junior 6-3 G Dexter Strickland, who is being recruited by North Carolina, Florida, and others; Junior 6-6 F Paris Bennett; and Jermel Jenkins. It’s very difficult to imagine you guys losing and not going undefeated. Looking at your schedule, which teams pose the biggest threat to an unblemished record? The only team that we have to worry about is Oak Hill.

(11) Many high school experts have you ranked in the top 20 for the class of 2011. Moving forward, how do you not let this get to your head and focus on improving your game? I don’t let it get to my head because that is just a lot of hype going around. All you have to do is bring your game not your name.

(12) What are your goals for this year? For your career? My goal for my freshmen year is to get better and improve my game for the next level. I am going to work hard this year so that I can start in my 10th grade year. For my career, I want to be a McDonald’s All-American and an All-American in college. We will see after that.

(13) Where do you want to play in college? Have you received interest from any schools yet? Is there any chance, you would consider playing for Gary Williams and the Maryland Terrapins (editor’s note: sorry I couldn’t resist as a die-hard Terps fan)? I really haven’t decided on that yet, but I really like Florida, Indiana, and Maryland. I received a lot of interest from Maryland, Florida, Florida State, St. Johns, VCU, Rutgers, West Virginia, Stanford, Auburn, Villanova, Indiana, and Marquette. I would consider playing for Coach Williams. I already have them in my top 5 schools.

(14) Do you have a mentor on the team yet? My mentor is Dexter Strickand.

(15) Have you ever been approached by agents or their runners when playing in the AAU circuit? No, but I have been interviewed a lot.

(16) How important is education for you and if basketball does not work out for you after college, what sort of job can you see yourself having?
Education is really important for me. If I don’t make it to the NBA, then I can see myself being a basketball coach.

(17) Who has had the biggest impact on your basketball career? Who are your role models? Dexter Strickland and Wayne Ellington from UNC.

(18) How do you balance being a major high school athlete with taking care of your business in the classroom? It balances off real good because if you have the grades, and you challenge yourself everyday, the sky is the limit.

(19) What is it like playing for National Coach of the Year, Kevin Boyle? Coach Boyle is a great coach. He is one of the better coaches that I have ever had. He always challenges you in practice so that you can get to the next level.

(20) If you could describe your game in 3 words, what would they be? NEVER GIVE UP.

(21) What is your biggest strength as a player? Weakness?
I have a very good first step with the basketball, I am very strong, and I have a good jumpshot. All that I need to work on is using my left hand.

On behalf of SportsAgentBlog and AccessAthletes, we would like to thank Derrick for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to us.

Interview with Derrick Gordon-Freshman Phenom from St. Patrick High School from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules