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An Institute For Athletes

Blake Baratz is a young guy (only 29-years-old), but already has a good amount of experience as an NFLPA certified advisor.  Since becoming certified with the union, Baratz has worked at Impact Sports, a representation firm with its principal office in Boca Raton, FL.  Baratz was working on behalf of Impact Sports from across the country, in California, where his specialty was in the recruitment of Big 10 players (3 signed clients being from the University of Wisconsin).

Recently, Baratz left Impact Sports to start up his own firm: The Institute for Athletes.  His clients at Impact Sports will remain co-represented by Baratz and his former employers, but Baratz should not have a tough time recruiting new clients to his “Institute”.  Jack Scharf has been hired by Impact Sports to fill the void left by Baratz’s departure. Scharf’s clients include Ryan Torain, Jerricho Cotchery, Marquis Cooper, and Marko Mitchell.

You can make jokes about the name of Baratz’s new entity, but I actually like it.   It coincides with the mission of his practice, which is to ensure that more NFL players are educated.  On his LinkedIn profile, Baratz notes that:

The most glaring area of need for improvement is simply education. 78% of all NFL players are either leaving the game broke, or broke within 3 years of their last NFL game.

I really like his approach.  At Dynasty, we stress family and innovation as our main selling points.  Baratz has chosen education as his.   It does not mean that we don’t educate our clients or that Baratz does not use innovative techniques to advance his players, but at least he has distinguished his agency from the mainstream agency that promotes the same package of services as the rest.  Baratz has also done a fantastic job surrounding himself with a lot of talent in his new start-up.  As reported by the StarTribune.com,

His brain trust includes Jeff Diamond, the former Vikings executive and Tennessee Titans president; actor Jaleel White, famous for the role of Steve Urkel on “Family Matters”; and a group of financial advisers, talent evaluators and former players.

Not sure what Jaleel White brings to the table other than a quality “Did I do that?” when things go wrong.  Bobby Engram, Will Allen, and Abdul Hodge, also sat in on meetings to help Baratz’s new firm get some legs to stand on.  Good luck to Baratz, another young agent who has a mission and will not let the cheerleaders on the sidelines prevent him from accomplishing his dreams.

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.

5 replies on “An Institute For Athletes”

Blake.  Why is Kevin Jones still sitting on the sideline???  KJ still has a great deal of football life remaining.  Miami would be a GREAT fit for KJ’s talent.  Get going!!!!!

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