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Social Networking Sports Business

A New Social Networking Site Backed By Athletes

A couple of days ago, a new website called MakeItPro launched.  The site is backed by Steve Nash, Gretchen Bleiler, Hasheem Thabeet, Bernard Berrian, Bill Duffy, and others.  That’s right, the head of BDA Sports is a backer, and co-founder, of this new all-sport social network and sports resource that intends to unite the world’s top professional athletes and sports enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels with experts, coaches, parents, teams and fans from all over the world – helping them to socialize, participate, learn and excel in over 150 different sports.

The site boasts the ability for all to interact easily with professional athletes.  But is that really a possibility, or are they advertising something that cannot really be fulfilled?  This sentence was a part of the press release:

MakeItPro is the ultimate sports showcase where anyone can connect with athletes of all levels, fans, coaches and parents around the world in a safe, educational and social community.

Is Steve Nash really going to be sitting at his computer all day answering questions from Tommy and Bobby?  I like the charity aspect of the site, which Duffy comments on in the release:

The MakeItPro Fund, MakeItPro’s charitable initiative, is an integral part of the company’s business plan. As part of this effort, MakeItPro will give money annually to a variety of charities known to help children and sports fans alike and the amount of the contribution will grow as the company does.

“MakeItPro has committed to raising millions of dollars for a variety of causes to help those in need around the world,” said Bill Duffy, professional sports agent. “The MakeItPro Fund means that everyone involved in sports in any capacity now has a worldwide platform to do well by doing good.”

The site is located at http://www.makeitpro.com.  There seems to be a lot of content to sort through already.  If you sign up, let me know what you think.

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.