I really enjoy sports especially the major ones with football and basketball being my favorite at both the pro and college level. It has always been my dream to either be involved in the management of sports teams and to ultimately own one. I am going to focus on writing about what I have learned through research and hands-on experience on making it as a sports agent in this post.
First off let me make it clear that the ultimate goal for me is to hit it real big as a sports agent and get to the heights that famous agents like Drew Rosenhaus and Rob Pelinka have reached. Check Rosenhaus in action in this link.

A great way to start would be by watching the 1996 sports comedy Jerry Maguire to get acquainted with the industry and have some fun at the same time. There is no real qualification or education requirements that are required to be a sports agent. A great passion and in-depth knowledge of the sport(s) is very important in making it in this business. Keep up with the latest developments of the game and master the experts like Drew Rosenhaus. If you need motivation and more insights check out Rosenhaus's autobiography, A Shark Never Sleeps: Wheeling and Dealing with the NFL's Most Ruthless Agent that was published in 1998.
Getting an internship with a top sports management agency will go a long way in getting your foot in the door. The ultimate goal for me would be to start my own management company. This really requires only one client and establishing a great relationship with this client could lead to other customers.
In terms of education, I think any type of degree would be great as long as you follow sports. In my case, I don’t think a formal education in sports management would make all that much of a difference. I have the public speaking and interpersonal skills that are really all it takes to be somebody. There are of course some licensing requirements that vary by state in order to legally represent an athlete. But at the end of the day, your success in monetary terms depends on how much the athletes you represent get paid.
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Jerry-Maguire-Tom-Cruise/dp/0800141741
