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Headline Sports Business

The Game Doesn’t Last Forever

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The game doesn’t last forever. This is a key phrase one hears over and over again, yet the twenty and twenty-one, and twenty-two year old kids coming into professional sports don’t listen to it. Someone so young coming into millions of dollars, when they’ve had nothing, has very little concept of how to handle immediate wealth. We, in the business of guiding athletes, have a fiduciary responsibility of educating athletes.

Thinking they have all the time in the world, when in fact they do not, athletes should be taught precisely how procrastination hurts the most with regard to investing for retirement. One can always make up for a poor investment choice, a lack of strategy, or paying too much in taxes. One can never make up for time lost.

After taxes and inflation, keeping money in a bank savings account or money market fund is a losing proposition. It should be emphasized to young athletes that even if they make a poor investment choice, through diversification and regular monthly allocation, they’ll be better off in the long run than keeping money “safe” in a savings account.

We must educate the athlete to understand and believe, a concept of “paying yourself first” is of the utmost importance. When an athlete gets paid, typically, he thinks “what can I buy”. I feel we should re-program athletes’ brains to understand that when a check comes in, the first matter of business is to stock some money away for retirement or some type of emergency fund. Second order of business is to pay their current bills. Third order is to spend some money and enjoy life. Logistically, this is not a difficult task to accomplish. Today’s athletes won’t thank you now for assisting with this process, but they will years from now.

Disclosures.  The information contained herein is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any security.  Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.  Further, the information herein is intended solely to provide general information and does not constitute a promotion of any offerings or products.  Donald J. Kushner is an independent financial advisor with Arque Capital, Ltd., and does business as DK Sports Financial.  Arque Capital, Ltd., and DK Sports Financial are unrelated entities.  Securities offered through Arque Capital, Ltd.  7501 E. McCormick Parkway, Suite 111 North Court, Scottsdale, AZ 85258.  (602) 971-9000.  Member FINRA/SIPC.  Any unauthorized reproduction of this information is strictly prohibited.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.