Time to Revolutionize the Sports Marketing Industry

Being around sports all my life as a player and fan, I get to see both sides of the ball. You get to see what’s wrong, what’s right and what should be fixed. Growing up in the digital age definately helps with easy access to stats via the web, the ability to watch virtually any game you want and most importantly easier access to professional athletes. The Internet makes this all possible. The web is the best place to read your favorite athlete’s thoughts on their blogs, buy official memorabilia and read the latest news and notes.  What I’ve come to find is that many current and retired athletes still don’t have an official website. Whos fault is that? Is it because their agents grew up in a time where face to face interaction was the only way to do business. I’ve found the some athletes try to build a site themselves, but wind up looking like a kids drawing. It’s ok, you are an athlete, not a web designer, so it was worth the shot. If you are trying to portray an positive and marketable image for yourself, make sure you find the right agent to work with. I’ve found that many old school agents don’t even have a site for their own agency. So how are they in the best interest of their represented players? We are in a time where millions of fans are searching the web daily to find the latest info on their favorite players, as well as fans building “unofficial” sites with not necessarily the correct info, just opinions and not always positive. A message to agents who represent athletes: you better make sure you take the time to create an identity for your athlete online, build their site properly and make sure your client shows up at the top of Google and Yahoo when fans and corporations search.

As far as recently retired players, having an official website should be the first thing they do upon retirement, to show the world their accomplishments, their charities and foundations, new business ventures and the ability to hire them for corporate appearances and speaking engagements. Athletes in the 60’s, 70’s, 80s and even 90’s didn’t make nearly what the current stars make today. And if they didn’t manage their money well, some even wind up broke. This is where the industry needs to be changed. I personally don’t think sports agents do enough for their players, and simply don’t acknowledge the hard work and struggles these guys put in over the years. Maybe we can call them “fair weather agents”, just like fans who abandon their favorite teams when they have a few losing seasons. Upon retirement is when sports agents should really look for opportunities for their clients especially for endorsements deals, corporate appearances and speaking gigs. It’s very hard for current athletes to find time to do a lot of this due to their grueling schedules, which is why a player should be more marketable after their playing days.

I believe now is the time to give retired athletes what they need and that is what I planned to do. Many of these retired athletes and even agents have no clue about the Internet, but they should be introduced and educated on the power of the web. Consider me a “glorified” sports agent or sports marketing guru, although I don’t carry a license or law degree. I do have hands on experience as a player and a fan, so I know what these athletes need in this day and age as far as marketing goes. But I can guarantee I can put any athlete in front of millions of fans all across the globe. Get ready sports world, it’s time for AthletePromotions revolutionize the sports marketing industry…