Ask any Sports Agent, and they will probably confirm the fact that in a majority of cases, it is vital to win over an athlete’s parents in order to sign a representation agreement contract. It is understandable how this simple fact can be overlooked by many agents while they reach out solely to the athlete and forget about his/her parental units.
Focus must be especially paid to an athlete’s mother. The Oxford Press looked into how influential a football player’s mother can be in the recruiting process by Universities across America [Mom’s the word for recruits]. The story ran right after National Signing Day, which placed many top recruits in a variety of schools (UF had the #1 recruiting class…Go Gators!).
But mom’s influence does not end after her son joins a college team. If mama ain’t happy with a school, her kid won’t play for that team. In the same respect, if mama ain’t happy with you, chances are that you will not be representing her son.
My favorite quote from the story:
“I think of her [my mom] as a truthful sports agent,” said Cameron, 17. “She helped me with things I’m not able to look at and she understands what’s out there, the games coaches try to play.”
Moral of the story: focus on winning over the athlete, but make sure that you impress his/her mother as well.
-Darren Heitner
