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CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
It is our goal
to negotiate the best contract possible for each and every one
of our athletes. This will not be limited to the major shoe
companies, as we actively seek sponsorship from companies
outside the sport.
COMPETITION MANAGEMENT
We handle every
aspect of competitions for our athletes. This includes
competition planning and entry, travel arrangements, the
handling of all fees due to the athlete, and anything else to
make sure that our athletes are comfortable so that they can
compete to their best abilities.
FINANCIAL ADVISING
While this is
not financial advising in the traditional sense, we want to make
sure that our athletes are smart with their earnings. Careers
in this sport do not last a lifetime, so saving and being smart
with finances is extremely important.
OUTSIDE MARKETING & PROMOTION
At DSI, we
actively seek opportunities for our athletes outside of the
sport. We aim to give them the most exposure so that doors will
open not only while they are competing in the sport, but also
once the retire. We like to look for opportunities not only a
national level, but also on a local level.
FAQ
1. How exactly do I make
money as a professional track and field athlete?
There are several different avenues
to making money as a track and field athlete. We will combine
all of these in order to achieve the most beneficial outcome for
you. One avenue is the fees that you get paid from
competitions. Depending on the meet, you can receive one or a
combination of: an appearance fee, prize money, or bonus money
(which is based on your result at that competition). Another
avenue used as a source of revenue is sponsorship money. This
usually comes in the form of a contract with a shoe company and
can be a one year or multi-year contract. These contracts vary
widely from athlete to athlete, so we will work as hard as
possible to get the best deal for each individual athlete.
Typically a contract will consist of a yearly base salary,
bonuses for Championship and Grand Prix meet performances, and
other negotiated bonuses.
2. What do you charge for
your services?
The industry standard for track and
field management is 15% and that is what we charge for all
services. This includes all money from sponsor contracts, prize
money, appearance money, or bonuses that you earn during the
terms of our contract. We work very hard to be more than just a
business negotiator. Our responsibilities include everything
from travel details (including visa's if necessary), meet entry
and logistics, to payment collection and accounting. We also
work with athletes in terms of financial advising to make sure
you pay necessary taxes and provide all appropriate
documentation for taxes that are withheld at competitions. We
only get paid for money we assist you in earning. There are no
fees to you for my services beyond this.
3. I know that a lot of the
competitions take place overseas. How does this work in terms
of travel and the costs associated with that?
This can vary from athlete to
athlete. We can either pay for your travel up front, or you can
pay for it and get reimbursed with travel money from the
competitions or from your sponsor. Some athletes prefer to pay
for it themselves to get credit card miles, but others do not
want to do so. In either case, the athlete covers the cost of
this expense. Before booking your travel, we will make sure that
you will come out ahead moneywise on the trip, so that you are
not actually losing money by travelling overseas. As mentioned
above, there are a couple ways to get the travel covered. One
way is by accumulating the money given by the meets as ‘travel
money’. The other way is through allocated travel money through
your sponsor contract. This varies from contract to contract,
as some contracts will not have this stipulation. In all cases,
we work to set up the best schedule for each athlete in
consideration of their goals and communication with the athlete
and their coach.
4. How is my competition
schedule decided?
To figure out the best schedule for
our athletes, communication is the key! We believe it is
important to be in constant communication with the athlete and
their coach to work out a schedule that will be the most
conducive to the athlete’s goals. We will never force an
athlete to compete when they do not want to – we are here to
work for you! As a competition season comes up, we will present
a list of all competitions that have your event. From there, we
will work to get you on the start list of the meets you want to
compete in and continue on to negotiate the best monetary deals
for you. As former athletes who have competed in most meets
around the world, we have knowledge of which meets typically
have great conditions and facilities, and which meets require
additional consideration. We will always work closely with each
athlete and their support group to ensure the best combination
of all aspects to perform at the highest level.
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