“The key to this business is personal relationships.” Dicky Fox, “Jerry Maguire.”
It’s recruiting season for sports agent, Austin Walton. While driving to his next recruiting stop, via phone, Walton described his hectic travel schedule to me. His itinerary was similar to a professional athlete – visit major cities along the West Coast for a few days and then the following week, hit cities on the East Coast. Being a sports agent, Walton explained, requires a lot of face time with athletes because they sign with agents that relate to them personally. Hence, the necessity of constant travel to visit potential clients and existing clients scattered throughout the country. In most cases, the player-agent relationship goes beyond business representation and demands more than phone calls, tweets and email.
Walton can relate to his basketball clients because he was once a promising basketball player in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) system. He understands firsthand a young ball player’s dreams and fears, knows the system and its unique financial and social pitfalls. Also, because basketball players are very young and have careers with short shelf lives, many require an agency that can do more than negotiate a contract; most expect everything from financial management and housing to physical training advice.
Today, Walton is living out his successful Plan B as the President and CEO of Walton Sports Management. He received his bachelors from the University of South Florida and recently graduated from South Texas College of Law. His career began with an internship at a large sports agency in Chicago before specializing in basketball, heading up the basketball division for a large agency based out of Miami.
“Show me the money!” Rod Tidwell, “Jerry Maguire.”
Did you know that a D-League player makes anywhere from 13k to 25k a season?Did you know that a player with comparable talent can make around 80k a week playing in the Chinese basketball league? Korean Basketball League or KBL? $250k a season. Yet, players still choose to play in the D-League for the shot at a 10-day contract to play in the NBA. According to Walton, while many players are chasing a dream, a 10-day NBA contract on one’s resume translates into instant credibility with international basketball leagues. So, while a player may lose out on an NBA dream when a 10-day contract is not renewed, there is a consolation prize in the form of cash.
Like decisions in many other careers, it is the same in basketball, do you chase the dream or jump for the money?
“We live in a cynical world. A cynical world. And we work in a business of tough competitors.” Jerry Maguire, “Jerry Maguire.”
When first questioned about becoming a sports agent, Walton offered vaguely ominous statements like, “its not for everyone.” I have heard the same tone from many lawyers when questioned about becoming a lawyer. For the sports agent, the same obvious difficulties are present, such as long hours and extraordinary commitment. Similarly, it’s a job where your clients’ lives can take over your own life.
The path to a career in sports agency fits every cliché that you’ve probably ever heard. It’s not what you know but who you know. Network, Network, Network! My interview with Austin Walton reinforced these clichés. Walton got his first gig with a sports agency through his friendship with a professional football player. It’s just how the game works.
For those interested, Walton suggested getting an early start while in school as an unpaid intern and making contacts that way. The most common internships are in marketing and IT. However, short of being an agent, there are positions as support staff, including accounting and physical training that could provide a back door. Either way, it’s a tough business and a hyper competitive world. For more information, including lists of major sports agencies, see http://sportsagentblog.com.
