Some athlete managers do everything for their clients. They pay their bills, they insure their car, they book their holidays, they fill out complex forms, they might even pick up their dry cleaning or run other errands. This type of management style is great except what you’re doing is depriving your client of important life skills.
Yes, athlete managers need to take the reins on different aspects of management but not at the expense of leaving your client without the knowledge or expertise to navigate life by themselves.
It amazes me how many athletes don’t know how to do simple tasks such as booking their own flights online. Everyday jobs are lost on some athletes simply because they have always had someone else do it for them.
You are expected to manage everything that is sponsorship or media driven but often athletes will rely on their managers for totally unrelated personal jobs. And it’s not their fault, it’s just that no one has ever taught them these skills. As a manager, it’s your duty to educate your clients. Athletes really appreciate this, in fact they take ownership and feel empowered to manage themselves better.
Ultimately your job is to build your athlete’s brand and align them with great sponsors, and this will be much easier with a client who is domlife-esticated.
