how to become a sports agent

Sports agents negotiate contracts for athletes. They are generally the figurehead in negotiating for their athletes to generate supplemental incomes, such as public media appearances, marketing, advertising, and endorsements. When they are not working out contracts, sports agents are mingling to promote the athletes they represent. Although it is not a requirement that sports agents have a college degree, the competitive nature of the field may dictate the requirement of a graduate or law degree to become a sports agent.

The details to follow to become a sports agent are,

Earn a Bachelor's degree in Sports management or business
Gain experience through internships and entry-level positions
Get Registered/Certified
Consider graduate degrees
Aim at advancing your career

Career Title	Sports Agent
Degree Requirements	Master's degree preferred, but no specific requirement
Job Growth	10%
Experience required	5 years
Salary (2020)	$51,699
How long to become a Sports Agent	6 years
Required Skills	Communication skills, marketability, professional attitude

What does a Sports Agent do ?

Sports agents are responsible for managing the careers of athletes. They also represent their clients and help them reach a financially rewarding agreement in their contract.

Scouting for new and talented athletes and players at sports matches and events.
Finding opportunities with organizations for athletes and players.
Managing client's marketing and endorsement activities.
Representing clients if there's a dispute with the organization that employs them.
Acting as a media spokesperson for the client.
Handling contract and salary packages.
Supporting clients during times of personal difficulty, loss of form, or when they're under pressure.

Steps for becoming a Sports Agent

1 Earn A Bachelor's Degree

On average, most sports agents need to have at least a Bachelor's degree. Aspiring sports agents can pursue degrees in sports management. Other most suited courses to take for becoming a sports agent include marketing and business management. A sports management degree program combines coursework relating to business with courses that provide basic instruction on exercise science. to pursue a clear career path, choose appropriate majors for sports agents.

Step 1 Earn a Bachelor's Degree

A student should try to gain a real-world internship through an internship. Students will benefit from an internship at a sports management agency or through gaining experience in sales, which helps with developing persuasive speaking skills.

Step 2 Complete an Internship

3 Become Registered Or Licensed

Some states require sports agents to have a license and be fully registered. Due to there being no formal or regulatory governing boards, requirements can vary from state to state. Typically, potential agents may only need to agree to a background check along with a registration application. Of course, they will also need to pay for any required registration and licensing fees associated with these courses.

Step 3 Become Registered or Licensed

4 Consider Opportunities For Career Advancement

Sports agents may also want to think about enrolling in law school. Law school will provide the technical knowledge to aid in reading the "legalese" of a contract as well as negotiating a said contract on behalf of the athlete they represent. Obtaining a law degree is not a mandate for this field, but it would provide an edge in negotiations. Agents may want to consider Master's degrees that provide actual training in sports management, such as an M.B.A. degree. With this degree, students will gain detailed knowledge of the sports industry. Also, the time taken to become a sports agent is worth investing in for a better future.

Step 4 Consider Opportunities for Career Advancement

Sports Agent Salaries

Sports Agent

Sports Agent Degree Levels

Associate

An associate degree in sports management help students develops a deeper understanding of industry and business principles. Students also study practical and theoretical aspects of fitness and athletics through team building exercises. Coursework in a sports management associate's degree program includes fundamental computer skills, product promotion, advertising, public relations and business law.

Physical education leadership

Self-Evaluation and Personal Philosophy
Skills, Qualities, and Techniques of Leadership
Best Practices for PE Leadership

Objectives

Exhibit leadership traits in large and small group settings
Engage in service opportunities
Implement initiatives and problem-solving tactics

Introduction to sports management

Professional Sport
Sport Marketing
Event Management

Objectives

Applying management skills to events and organizations
Explaining key components of sports management
Demonstrating a strong knowledge foundation of the sport industry

Introduction to business

Business Environment
Effective Communication
Developing a Business Mindset

Objectives

Develop a basic understanding of the free enterprise system
Understand how business ethics apply to customers and other stakeholders
Understand the basic forms of business ownership

Bachelors

A bachelor's degree is a crucial step to prepare for a successful career in sports management. Aspiring sports managers have many different options in developing a sports management degree plan. Choices for a bachelor's degree in this field include specialties in Sports Management, Marketing, Business Administration and Accounting as well as areas such as risk management or fitness and wellness.

Marketing

Marketing Mix
SWOT Analysis
Target Market & Segmentation

Objectives

Understanding the importance of strategic marketing
Analyze the external environment to identify opportunities or challenges
Identify and classify marketing segments and targets

Business Administration

Principles of Management
Business mathematics and statistics
Business Economics

Objectives

Provide a basic understanding of management
Effective communication skills
Entrepreneurship skills

Business law

The legal system and the legal environment of business
Contract law
Investigate commercial paper and negotiable instruments

Objectives

Describe the U.S. legal system and the legal environment of business
Describe the relationship between ethics and law in business
Define relevant legal terms in business

Masters

Coursework at the master's level will prepare a student for management and administrative roles within the sports management and sports medicine fields. Generally, students can pursue an MBA or a Master of Science.

Management for Organizations

The Dynamics of People and Organizations
Models of Organizational Behavior
Organizational Culture

Objectives

Introduction to management theory and practice
Planning, organizing, leading and controlling
Technology-driven and global organizations

Public Relations Practice & Promotional Writing

Research/Gathering Information
The ART of the PITCH
Social Media PR, e-Releases

Objectives

An introduction to current procedures and duties of public relations
Write news releases
Brochures, speeches, reports, memos, and scripts

Sociology of Sport

Different levels of sport
Sports in relation to social stratification
Race, gender and social discrimination

Objectives

Historical contexts which created and shaped the growth of the sport
Understand the political and economic forces shape sporting experiences
Improve one's ability to articulate complex arguments

Doctorate

A Ph.D. in sports management generally originates in education or sports administration but Ph.D. candidates may also focus their research in areas like interscholastic athletics, sports marketing, sports leadership, sports medicine, risk management or the psychological and sociological aspects of sports.

Sports Marketing

Introduction and Marketing Through Sports
Marketing of Sports
Emerging Issues in Sports Marketing

Objectives

The marketing tools for sports marketing
The perspectives of participants and spectators as sports consumers
The marketing mix options for sports products

Sport Medicine

Athletic Training as a Career
Prevention of injury
Injury Healing

Objectives

An insight into the field of sports medicine
An overview in the areas of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries
To instruct students in basic first aid and emergency care

Risk Management

Insurance and Risk
Introduction to Risk Management
Types of Insurers & Marketing Systems

Objectives

Engage students in active discovery of risk management principles
Challenges, tools, and process of implementing risk management program
Ways in which businesses and society assess, control, and transfer risk