S P O RT S M A N A G E M E N T
S P O RT S M A N A G E M E N T
1818 MARKET STREET SUITE 3510 PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 PHONE 610.453.5718 FAX 215.832.3601 S P O RT S M A N A G E M E N T
S P O RT S M A N A G E M E N T
WELCOME TO
STARGAZER SPORTS MANAGEMENT
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hroughout my career in representing athletes, I have witnessed many good, young players make the same mistake. They chose to be represented by an agent who made flashy promises that were never delivered rather than select an agent who possessed valuable experience, knowledge and substance. In my desire to insure that athletes started their career in the right direction, I wanted to create a sports management firm whose advisors put the interests of their clients first. It was also essential to me that the advisors had the skills, knowledge and relationships necessary to help future clients build long-term wealth and create opportunities for a successful life after football. Stargazer Sports Management was formed with two key principles in mind: 1.) Above everything else, our clients’ needs are the top priority; 2.) Unlike other firms, our agents are also skilled attorneys with vast negotiating experience. Many NFLPA Certified Contract Advisors do not have a legal background and have no prior negotiating experience. If one of your goals is to obtain the best contract possible, don’t you want a skilled contract negotiator, who understands the business dealings of the NFL, handling your representation? Just read the sports pages over the past year and you will find numerous examples of players who have failed to achieve bonuses or reach other financial incentives in their contract because the contract language did not favor them. As a person who has a very narrow window of time to earn at a high level, you do not have the luxury of starting your career by choosing the wrong agent for the wrong reasons. You need an advisor who truly cares about what is important to you and has the ability to negotiate deals that reflect your best interests. At Stargazer Sports Management, we are committed to making great things happen during your career. The information in this package is intended to give you an introduction into what type of firm we have built at Stargazer Sports Management. However, every strong relationship develops over time. We hope to start building that relationship with you in the near future so that we can help you accomplish all of your goals, both on and off the field. I would like to wish you all the best as you prepare to take your career to the next level!!
JOSHUA M. MARKS, ESQ. FOUNDER/CEO
WELCOME TO STARGAZER SPORTS MANAGEMENT
At Stargazer Sports Management, we are committed to making great things happen during your career.
W
e would like to thank you for taking the time to consider Stargazer Sports Management.
Stargazer Sports Management was formed for the explicit purpose of providing the personal attention and knowledgeable service that we feel every professional athlete deserves. As you near the completion of your collegiate playing career, you are entering a critical time; the time when you must decide who is the bestsuited person and firm to help manage your future. There are so many issues that must be addressed from the end of your final college season through the draft continuing on throughout your entire professional career. Some examples of the career decisions you will have to tackle include pre-draft training, off-season conditioning, position-specific training, contract negotiations, disability and other insurance acquisitions, financial planning, marketing and endorsement opportunities, and a host of other issues. Stargazer Sports Management is dedicated to providing our clients with the insight, experience and knowledge to guide them and represent their interests in dealing with these career choices. Our mission is very clear: • We will help you train for the combine, pro-day and/or private workouts in which you will participate; • We will keep in constant communication with scouts, college scouting directors, general managers and player personnel directors to afford you as much exposure as possible; • We will negotiate the best possible contract for you to maximize financial gain; • We will help you secure marketing and endorsement opportunities; • We will help address all of your insurance needs; • We will provide you with legal expertise in your off-the-field business ventures; and most importantly, we will be there with you every step of the way as you grow as a person and player. As you meet with potential advisors, remember that substance is much more important to your long-term success than flash. It is essential that you develop a high level of trust in your agent. This trust comes from knowing that your agent has the experience you need, the negotiating skills to get you what you want, a thorough understanding of the business dealings of your particular sport, and a desire to always put your interests first. Stargazer Sports Management is a firm built on these principles.
ABOUT OUR STAFF
JOSHUA M. MARKS, ESQ.
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oshua M. Marks has been practicing sports and entertainment law since 1997.
As a founding
member of the law firm Marks & Rosenzweig, LLC with offices in Philadelphia, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ
and Boca Raton, FL, Josh has concentrated his legal practice in representing athletes, musicians and entertainers. Many of Josh’s past and present clients include NFL players, independent record labels, movie production companies, hip-hop and other musical artists, television personalities and authors. Josh is a certified Contract Advisor of the National Football League Players Association. Josh is responsible for overseeing every aspect of our rookie clients’ transition from college to professional football, including the coordination of training, the preparation for all combines and individual workouts, communication with all scouts and personnel staff and of course, handling the player-contract negotiations. With respect to any veteran clients, Josh is in charge of reviewing the current playercontract and discussing the options of pursuing free-agency, trades or negotiating a contract extension. What sets Josh apart from most agents is his broad legal background. In addition to concentrating in the areas of sports and entertainment, Josh has significant litigation experience in criminal matters, civil matters and negotiating real estate transactions and other commercial transactions. Josh’s expertise in a variety of negotiations allows him to deal with NFL team executives from a unique perspective; he is often able to spot issues and anticipate certain areas of concern well before they develop. This allows Josh to effectively advocate for his athlete-clients and truly obtain deals that reflect their best interests. Josh obtained his undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University. He then went on to graduate, cum laude, from Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware. Josh is currently a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bars. Josh also spends a great deal of his time as a member of the Board of Directors of the Adam J.Taliaferro Foundation. Adam Taliaferro is a former student-athlete who recovered from a life-altering spinal cord injury suffered on the football field as a freshman player for Penn State. Josh is in charge of planning and hosting several of the foundation’s fundraisers, which generate money used for the healthcare of student-athletes who suffer spinal cord injuries.
ABOUT OUR STAFF
TIMOTHY LYNCH, ESQ.
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im Lynch has been practicing law and representing athletes/sports personalities since 1994. He is a partner with the law firm of Offit, Kurman, Yumkas & Denick, one of the largest firms in Baltimore, MD.
Tim is a certified Contract Advisor of the National Football League and Canadian Football League Players Associations. In addition to working closely with Joshua Marks to negotiate our clients’ player-contracts,Tim’s responsibilities include identifying new potential clients who possess the type of character traits, work ethic and talent that we strive to develop at Stargazer Sports Management . Tim also spends a great deal of his time coordinating off-season training regimens and attending to the business and legal needs of our clients. Tim has a diverse legal practice that includes representing an international sports figure, NFL players and national sports personalities. His areas of expertise extend beyond the sports realm to complex civil litigation with an emphasis on contract negotiation and business-related litigation. Tim’s extensive experience has resulted in the successful negotiation of contracts and business transactions totaling in the tens of millions of dollars. Tim also regularly appears in federal and state courts on behalf of his individual and business clientele. As a highly-skilled lawyer and negotiator, Tim is able to advise our athlete-clients on the numerous personal, business and legal issues that confront successful athletes. Tim is especially invaluable to those clients who wish to utilize their on-the-field success to develop off-the-field endeavors. Tim is a former multi-sport athlete who is still extremely active in his free time. He continues to draw on his background as a former athlete by approaching every negotiation with an NFL team as a competition that requires tremendous preparation. Tim obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University Of Maryland School Of Law and graduated cum laude with a degree in Economics from Loyola College. He is also active in several church groups as well pro bono legal service groups.
ABOUT OUR STAFF
JEFFREY TERRY
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effrey Terry has been involved in sports at every level, both as a player and coach, since he was a child. Known as an extremely versatile athlete, Jeff ’s talents emerged at a young age as he earned two AAU
basketball national championships. Jeff also excelled in football where he quickly established himself as a hard-hitting and tenacious safety. After finishing his high school career as a defensive standout, Jeff took his game to Indiana UniversityBloomington. Upon his graduation in 1984, Jeff played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts during the 1986-1987 season. Unfortunately, Jeff ’s professional career was cut short by injury, however he never lost his passion for the game. Combining his knowledge of football with his desire to help young studentathletes excel on and off the field, Jeff returned home to become the linebacker and defensive line coach for Warren Central High School. The linebacker and defensive line units became a force under Jeff ’s guidance and the team went on to win two Indiana 5A high school football state championships. Over the last fifteen years, Jeff has worked with numerous high school athletes from the state of Indiana who play football, basketball and baseball. His strength is serving as a positive role model to these young men and helping them reach their potential in the particular sport in which they participate. Jeff brings to our clients a wealth of knowledge about the game of football from the vantage points of both a former player and coach. Jeff understands what is takes to succeed in the NFL and he is able to help individual players improve on their areas of weakness. Jeff is very active in the recruiting process and also works with our clients, on a one-on-one basis, as they prepare for the combine and individual workouts. Jeff ’s relationships, knowledge and passion for the game of football are a tremendous asset to the growth and success of our clients.
ABOUT OUR STAFF
MARC SHUSTER
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arc Shuster is one of the financial services professionals with whom Stargazer Sports Management has built a strong relationship. Even though we always encourage our clients to select their own
financial advisor, Marc is available to answer any questions that you and your family have about estate planning, disability insurance, long-term care insurance, and other financial matters. As you continue to gather information during your final collegiate season about financial issues that you will confront in the future, we hope that you will feel free to reach out to Marc whenever necessary. Marc is a financial consultant for New York Life Insurance Company and a Registered Representative with NYLIFE Securities Inc. He specializes in creating wealth and establishing financial independence by implementing strategies to protect the assets of individuals and families. Marc has extensive experience working with professional athletes in the areas of estate planning, disability insurance and building deferred compensation plans.
Marc’s philosophy focuses on helping athletes prepare for life after their playing
careers have ended by centering client portfolios on building, protecting and preserving their assets. Every athlete-client that Marc meets with goes through an extensive initial consultation in order to discuss the client’s specific financial and personal goals. Following this conversation, Marc works diligently to create a budget so the athlete-client can easily understand the necessary expenses that must be accounted for on a monthly basis. Marc also takes the time to analyze the athlete-client’s assets to liabilities ratio in order to provide a working synopsis of the individual’s net worth. This allows Marc to make the appropriate recommendations for insurance and investment needs going forward. Another essential issue for professional athletes is securing income replacement in the event of injury or disability. As part of his services, Marc makes it a priority to insure that his clients continue to receive an income that maintains their standard of living despite a career-ending injury. He utilizes vehicles such as long-term care insurance to preserve his athlete-clients’ assets in the event that their career is cut short on the field. Marc received his B.A. (Sports Management/Business) from the University of Miami, Florida. In addition, he is the former President of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Gamma Omega Chapter. Marc is originally from Owings Mills, Maryland and resides and works in the Philadelphia area.
PLAYER SERVICES
As you meet with potential advisors, remember that substance is much more important to your long-term success than flash.
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hrough our own expertise and our relationships with other professionals, Stargazer Sports Management is able to offer our clients a full range of services, including:
• PRE-DRAFT/COMBINE TRAINING & OFF-SEASON CONDITIONING • CONTRACT NEGOTIATION • LEGAL SERVICES • MARKETING AND ENDORSEMENTS • FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (Investments, Budgeting, Bill Pay, Retirement Planning) • TAX AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES • ESTATE PLANNING • INSURANCE ACQUISITION • MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES (Foundation Formations, Real Estate Purchases, Travel And Relocation Services)
PLAYER SERVICES
TRAINING
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crucial element to preparing you for playing in the NFL and enhancing your draft status is your predraft training program. At the conclusion of your final collegiate season and any all-star games to
which you may be invited, you will most likely participate in the combine, on-campus pro-day workout or private workout for individual teams. These workouts are designed to test your strength, speed, agility and position-specific skills. A great workout can demonstrate your athleticism, position-specific abilities and your performance under pressure, in turn enhancing your draft status in the eyes of NFL personnel executives. A bad workout can have the opposite effect. It is our job to make sure you are given the proper training to help you become stronger, get faster, improve your technique, and highlight your abilities to the people who count. A very key element of your training is insuring that you have also been instructed on the proper diet and nutrition to remain healthy and reach your peak performance. Stargazer Sports Management has developed strong relationships with exceptional trainers such as Tony Decker of Velocity Sports Performance as well as several others around the country. Where will you train? That depends on several factors: Unlike other agents, we recognize that there
It is our job to make sure that you are given the proper training that will help you get stronger, become faster, improve on your technique, and highlight your abilities to the people who count.
is no single training facility that is right for everybody. Each athlete has his own desires, needs and areas of focus. We take the time to meet with our clients in order to tailor a training regimen and location that best fits our clients’ needs.
PLAYER SERVICES
TRAINING
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ome questions that we consider are: • Will you be staying at school or returning home? • Are you still working on your degree or have you graduated? • What specific areas of weakness do you have? • What position-specific training is required? • How many other athletes are training at a given facility • Where will YOU be most comfortable and free of distractions? • Which trainer/facility is best equipped to meet your needs?
We make it a priority to follow your training very closely. When possible, we will personally appear at training sessions. Also, we make it a point to stay in constant communication with your trainers and their staff to chart your progress and see what areas need additional work. Above all else, we communicate with you. It is our goal to make sure that you are happy, healthy and receiving the best possible preparation you can. If you have concerns about your training, we want to know about it so that the proper adjustments can be made.
PLAYER SERVICES
CONTRACT NEGOTIATION
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ne reason that the Players Association refers to agents as “Contract Advisors” is because negotiating and advising the player on his contract with a team is a primary responsibility. As in every negotiation,
the Contract Advisor must have a strong understanding of several factors in order to best represent his client. For example, the Contract Advisor must understand the workings of the salary cap, free agency, roster bonuses, workout bonuses, reporting bonuses and LTBE/NLTBE bonuses. The advisor must have a grasp on the market demand for specific players, be aware of team needs, and be able to utilize leverage in order to obtain the best contract terms for his client. Most importantly, a good Contract Advisor takes the time to listen to what is important to his client; one person’s priority may be to obtain the maximum amount of money, while another person is willing to sacrifice some money in order to play for a specific team or coach. There are also family and community commitments that certain players have, which may ultimately affect where they want to play and for how long. It is up to the Contract Advisor to
Our firm believes that the key to any contract negotiation is a great deal of preparation.
spend time getting to know what is important to his client so that he is well prepared before starting any negotiation. Our firm believes that the key to any contract negotiation is a great deal
of preparation. We take the time to study our client, the demands of the market place and the team/ representative with which we will be negotiating. Because our Contract Advisors are also attorneys, they have spent years negotiating a wide variety of business deals. The skills and experience they have obtained make them much more effective negotiators on your behalf when it’s time to get you the best possible contract for your future.
LEGAL SERVICES
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ot only do we want to help you find success on the field, but also we want to assist you in business dealings away from the game. Whether you are buying a home for your family, a commercial
investment property, buying a franchise, or starting some other business to secure your future, we are fully equipped to act as your legal counsel in these transactions. Other agents are usually forced to refer their athlete-clients to attorneys who can assist with legal representation. As a Stargazer Sports Management client, you have access to our attorneys whenever needed. This allows you to communicate with one person and one firm about all of the business dealings that affect you and your family. Our attorneys have handled criminal cases, entertainment matters, business acquisitions, personal injury cases, breach of contract cases, real estate transactions, estate planning and a host of other legal issues.
At Stargazer Sports Management, you can communicate with one person and one firm about all of the business dealings that affect you and your family.
PLAYER SERVICES
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
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here have been numerous horror stories about unethical agents who have stolen money from their clients. Most of the agents who have been caught in these scams did not possess the proper skills,
credentials or licenses to manage money. We want you to know up front, we will NEVER ask you to invest your money with us or tell you which investment advisor to select. However, we do feel it is extremely important that you have a financial advisor who can help you manage your money, prepare a budget, set up a bill pay system, advise you on insurance, and assist in tax planning. While we have relationships with NFLPA Certified Financial Planners who we can recommend to you, we want you to have the freedom to choose your own financial advisor. You will dictate how involved we are in the selection process. As your Contract Advisor, we would certainly welcome
As a person who has a very narrow window of time to earn at a high level, you do not have the luxury of starting your career by choosing the wrong agent for the wrong reasons.
the opportunity to assist you with interviewing potential candidates, and can act as a sounding board to give you our thoughts and impressions. Should you choose, we will gladly stay in frequent communication with your financial advisor during your career. We will also attend any meetings you have with your advisor to review your portfolio and continue to plan for the future.
If you start this process from the very beginning of your career, you will go a long way towards guaranteeing yourself a secure financial future after your playing days are over.
MARKETING
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any of today’s professional athletes earn substantial income through marketing and endorsement opportunities. At Stargazer Sports Management, we utilize our skills and expertise to research,
develop and obtain marketing and endorsement opportunities for our clients in the following areas: • Shoe and Apparel Industry
• Print Advertisements
• Trading Cards
• Magazine Articles
• Video Games
• National, Regional and Local Appearances
• Product Endorsements
• Corporate Speaking and Corporate Sponsorships
• Radio and Television Programs
• Sports Memorabilia
While many marketing campaigns have a national focus, we see the importance of building from the ground up locally and regionally. There are numerous opportunities available for you in your own city, state and regional area that should be explored. Stargazer Sports Management has the
Stargazer Sports Management has the contacts and experience to secure revenue for you through deals on a local, regional and national level.
contacts and experience to secure revenue for you through deals on a local, regional and national level.
1818 MARKET STREET SUITE 3510 PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 PHONE 610.453.5718 FAX 215.832.3601