BasketBall Connect

So maybe I was a little gullable coming out of school. I knew I wanted to play pro-ball since the beginning of my college career. And when it all ended I was working hard getting all my stats and good game film together talking to some agents seeing exactly what I needed to do. Well in the end I had to make the decision of paying for an exposure camp or playing in an exposure league. I chose the league and ended up having the worst experience of my life and spent mad money the entire summer. I left the day after graduating from college. Following broken promises and self-fish people. Now I "think" I have an agent that is gonna get me somewhere but it seems like "stiles55" said you still gotta do the work if you want to get there. I have to create my own contacts and make my own connections. Plus you have to deal with the people who think you are not going to make it. This is not easy but in the end hopefully it will be worth it.

"Work in progress..." ~jj~
Mo

This is a warning to all who deal with agents. Agents can be good for you and help you a great deal but there is only so much they can do. You have to consider how most of these individuals operate, commission. Just like if you worked at Foot Locker, a telemarketer, or a traveling salesman. Therefore, in order for them to make money they need a lot of clientel. This is where, if you don't pursue things yourself, you are at a disadvantage. Even if you feel you have a great relationship with your agent, realize that you aren't his/her only client. And to be successful you will have to know the ropes too.

I admit I was new to the game of agents and basketball when I first tried to see what options I had. I thought, because I didn't have fantastic stats I needed to prove myself somewhere. I tried the camps, got swindled, and learned my lesson immediately. The only way to get something was to get it myself. Through emails to coaches responses to offers over the internet and attending verifiable tryouts (that I didn't pay for). Blogs such as these, but on other sites as well, are good, and in actuality very helpful to see what is out there and what people are looking for. My advice though rather than responding with all of your info on the blog, respond to those looking for players with an email.

And when you do deal with agents, the last and final thing you can do is to remeber that it is YOU that makes the agent money, not the other way around. Everything you hear where you have to pay extraordinary amounts of money for a camp, pay to travel to Europe for a team tryout, or paying an agent so s/he can find you a job is more than likely a hoax. Remember this is a business but it is also your dream, and there are always people out that that would love to play off of your dreams to get a desired payoff.

So, I leave you with this, be careful, learn how the game works, keep working hard, and good things will come.