Requirements for a Sports Agent

Sports agents help professional athletes handle the business side of their careers. They negotiate contracts, deal with sponsors and other business interests, and also deal with the media and help with publicity. Becoming a sports agent is a very rewarding career with a great salary, but it requires a lot of hard work and dedication.

  1. Education

    • Attend college and earn a degree in either sports administration (not every school offers it), business ddministration, finance/accounting or law. A bachelor's degree is almost required, although a lot of people even stay a few more years and earn a master's degree. Many sports agents also have a law degree.

    Experience

    • Attending school is usually not enough. Aspiring sports agents will also need to intern and again experience working with a sports agency. If nothing is available, a lot of aspiring agents work somewhere in sports until an agency position opens up.

    Communication Skills

    • Sports agents need to have excellent communication skills. They must sell a service, which in this case is a professional athlete. They must present outstanding sales skills like persuasion, persistence and dedication. Agents also need to form a tight bond with the athletes they work for.

    Knowledge of Sports

    • The agent must also understand the market his or her professional athlete plays for. You need to understand what other players of your client's caliber are making, keep a close tab on the market and form a strong relationship with the owner and (sometimes) coach of the team.

    Actively Search Additional Business Opportunities

    • Sports agents willingly handle the business side of an athlete's career because it makes them money. Any time the player signs a new contract, either with the team, a sponsor, product or event, the agent makes a commission. Athletes will hold onto agents who constantly find new ways to make them more money.