Masterplan Group Internship

On September 12, I took the first step on my journey towards being a sports agent. I hopped on the #8 bus, transferred to the #126, went up to the 31st floor of Chicago’s Board of Trade building, and stepped into Masterplan Group International for the first day of my internship. Almost a month into the internship, I feel like I have already learned a lot about what it takes to keep a successful agency running, and the dedication and work required to be a successful agent.

Like a lot of people, I stumbled across this website as a person with an idea and a desire, but little direction of guidance. I figured that the best way to learn about the sports agent industry would be to get into an office as an intern. Using SportsAgentBlog’s Agencies by State page, I researched and looked up every agency I could find in the Chicagoland area, wrote them an e-mail, and attached my resume. Then, after following up with countless e-mails and maxing out my cell phone minutes, I landed a phone interview with MGI. During the interview, Tami Hardoby, our Operations Manager, and I talked extensively about my writing for the SportsAgentBlog and how it has helped me get a better idea of what being an agent is really like and why I want to be an agent. I really believe that having something like that on my resume showed not only my genuine interest in the field, but also that I was willing to do what it took to get myself noticed and that I was actively pursuing my dreams.

It’s been an outstanding experience, and I’ve had the opportunity to work on many different projects. Below is the job description, and I’ve probably worked on half of the stuff listed, with the other half still to be done within the next couple of months.

• Track and Update info for NFL Clients (Stats, News, Photos)
• Update recruiting lists on a weekly basis
• Assist with the creation and distribution of marketing pieces and recruiting e-mails
• Responding to client needs and requests
• Prepare products and information for the 2009 Draft Class Clientele
• Assist marketing team with current endeavors
• Be involved in general day-to-day operations

One thing I’ve been working on pretty frequently is a Sports Social Networking site called FanFuego. Check it out when you have some free time, but it’s a way for professional athletes to connect with their fans while promoting their charities and generating marketing dollars for themselves. Also, it gives smaller league teams, semi-pro athletes, and even youth leagues a chance to get their names out and raise some money for their teams.

It’s a great time to be an intern. With college and professional football in full swing, you really get a feel for what it is like to be an agent during the actual season, and you get to experience first hand all the time and work it takes in order to keep an agency running. It has definitely opened my eyes to a lot of smaller details of the agency (like how important having good interns really is). Also, I love the fact that whenever I’m watching an NFL game, I see players like Chiefs’ Cornerback Brandon Carr, Jaguars Defensive Tackle Rob Meier, Giants’ Guard Rich Seubert, or Bears’ Linebacker Nick Roach and tell my friends, “Hey, he’s one of our clients.”

It’s an outstanding opportunity for anyone who is in the Chicagoland area or willing to come to the City of Wind. The atmosphere is very laid back. The office is nice, the team is small, and you get to really interact and work closely with all the people in the office and other interns. Many opportunities are available to you, and you never run out of interesting or fun stuff to do. I’ll definitely post a few more times about things happening in the office, and give you guys a better breakdown of fanfuego.com over the next few weeks. Also, look for an Interview With The Agent coming soon with Masterplan’s Josh Wright. Also, check out Masterplan at www.masterplangroup.com for more information on the agency. Until then.