Posted: November 16, 2004

Athletics: Athlete Managers Form Group

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

After the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 7, many of the top athlete managers did not head home, but rather went to Miami, Fla. They did not go to vacation on that city's legendary beaches, but rather to discuss the status of managers in the sport of athletics and how that status could be improved. Their complaints ranged from poor treatment by the IAAF and Golden League meet managers, to shady operators within their midst who give their profession a bad name.

The upshot was the formation of the Association of Athletics Managers, or AAM, the new trade organization which will now speak for member managers.

"The AAM has determined that we must formulate a program similar to those of the other professional sports throughout the world, which will allow for the policing and licensing of managers and agents," said spokesman Jos Hermens of Global Sports Communications, an athlete management firm based in the Netherlands. "It is essential that the managers bind together to improve their status within the sport with the IAAF and all member federations, meeting organizers, sponsors, media and athletes. Accordingly, the AAM and its members have unanimously approved a set of rules and regulations for all members."

Hermens did not specify what the new rules and regulations would be, but he did say that "our organization is dedicated to assisting athletes in acquiring the best possible individual representation."

Managers, or agents as they are sometimes known, are often derided by both athletes and meet organizers, as adding little value to the sport and simply taking commissions --usually between 10% and 20%-- which are much higher than in other sports. The worst managers enjoy the status of freeloaders: simply looking to indulge themselves at the expense of meeting organizers, making their own operating expenses someone else's whenever possible.

However, the best managers in athletics do add value. They act as talent scouts, discovering new athletics talent and steering them towards appropriate coaches. They protect athlete interests against the superior financial power of shoe and apparel companies and meeting organizers, who sometimes take advantage of athletes who do not know market values for sponsorship deals or meeting appearance fees. They can save organizers precious time by only offering appropriate athletes for their events who have been properly trained, and assisting with travel arrangements and payment details. They often act as translators: a top manager is usually fluent in several languages.

Hermens, who provided his comments in a press release, did not specify how many managers had signed on to AAM.