Categories
Headline Sports Agents Sports Business

Integrity Sports Agency Is Not A Baseball Agency; It Is A Christian Agency

Every Friday Sports Agent Blog publishes a wrap-up of articles that were not covered on the website the preceding seven days.  The title of that wrap-up includes the phrase “Shabbat Shalom” and the opening blurb in the body of the article typically will contain at least one link related to a Jewish sports story.  It is an opportunity for me to inject a bit of my own religion and is something that Jewish agents and non-agent observers have enjoyed (at least that is what they tell me).

While Sports Agent Blog certainly has no direct religious affiliation, a baseball agency in Pasadena, California wears its religion on its sleeve.  In fact, the agency does not want to be referred to as a baseball agency – it is a Christian agency.

Phil Van Horn, a former baseball coach at Cal-State Northridge and the University of Southern California, is a founder (along with two lawyers) of Integrity Sports Agency, LLC (ISA), and all three founders are very involved in faith and wish to put G-d first above all else.  “We are not Christian guys working at an agency; we are Christian guys who have created a Christian agency,” explained Van Horn to Sports Agent Blog.  “We pray with and for our clients.  Part of the journey in professional baseball is that players are isolated from their families and the industry has a great deal of insecurity on the journey.  We deal with that as we deal with all things – through faith.”

The company’s first MLB Draft was this past year.  Van Horn said that he assisted five players, including catcher Eric Smith, who was the Los Angeles Dodgers 18th round pick out of Stanford University.  While Smith signed with the Dodgers, ISA worked with a few others who were valued to be early picks, but turned down their offers and are currently on college campuses.

Van Horn understands that ISA’s strong commitment to faith may limit the company in recruiting, and he is okay with that.  He notes that there have already been families that are not strong Christians and are interested in working with ISA.  “Young players and families have been curious and very interested, but there is also a great deal of skepticism, especially because of the big league culture in the clubhouse,” said Van Horn.  “At the same time, we have been remarkably encouraged by guys in that big league culture and welcomed into it.  Christian families have received us very well, but so have others.”

For now, ISA is intentionally keeping as low key as they can, while still building a baseball agency that the partners hope will have great success starting with the 2013 MLB Draft.  Check out your favorite MLB jerseys before the 2013 season starts.  Scratch that; the three gentlemen are not building a baseball agency, they are working at a Christian agency.

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.