Not too long ago, most professional athletes negotiated their own contracts. The thought of having a sports agent was foreign to professional clubs and athletes. But over the past few years, sports have had an ever-increasing role in professional sports. The primary reason for the influence and role of sports agents is that professional team franchises have turned professional teams into profitable industries, and athletes can now demand increased compensation for their participation in sports.
             In just decades, athletes have seen their salaries rise from the thousands into the millions of dollars. Average players now make the salaries of superstars years ago. With the great increase in salaries and benefits in professional sports, a need is developing for athletes to have sports agents to manage their business and personal affairs.
             When going into the sports agent field, a person must have a very good educational background. Individuals require specialized training to become a sports agent. Those pursuing this career must successfully complete a Bachelor's degree in law, as well as additional related education or training. To be successful, a person must be not just well educated, but most importantly, have a very high passion for sports itself. Some other examples of skills and requirements needed to be successful in this field include business orientation, interpersonal relations, persuasive writing, sports contract negotiation, and achievement motivation.
             Career trends for sports agents suggest that the number of positions will decline when compared to the average growth of all other occupations. A contributing factor to this trend is a high amount of competition for upcoming athletes. With the extraordinary talent there is in sports today, many sports agents want those high dollar prospects. The competition for those prospects will be high.
             Being a sports agent can have great benefits, but can also hav...