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The unseen team player
October 21, 2010, Thursday
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THEY'RE considered by many to be talentless, parasitic and only in it for the money despite being invaluable. Ma Xuehui meets a sports agent setting things straight about his profession.
When darkness falls upon the city, Wang Ran's office is illuminated only by his computer screen. A bento is lying on his desk, already cold. Wang is typing up project plans and the board beside him has his schedule for the next few days - 10am tomorrow, Beijing, talking with sponsors; the day after tomorrow, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, inspecting preparation of an important sports event; after that, flying to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and meeting leaders of the Sports Center ?
That's the life of Wang, a sports agent, and he's totally forgotten his bento.
According to various tales and rumors, many people today have an already formed impression of a sports agent - they handle the super powers bestowed upon sports stars; they're fat, without any sports talent; they transfer the talent of an athlete into merchandise; they're counting money while they're quarreling with athletes; some are even called vampires ?
"That's nonsense!" Wang replies quickly and angrily on hearing such a description of his profession.
"That's not a sports agent. If someone works like that, he'll soon lose his job," he tells Hangzhou Magazine.
Putting such rumors and preconceptions aside, there's one thing for certain - the function of the sports agent is absolutely necessary. No matter if it's Diego Maradona or David Beckham, Yao Ming or Lui Xiang, the efforts of the sport agent definitely cannot be ignored. Bringing athletes up, planning events, that's what they're good at. And during the process, the sports agent learns how to handle the differences and conflicts and take full advantage of all resources.
To protect the privacy of his clients, Wang doesn't want to provide specific examples of how he handles conflicts. The only thing he stresses again and again is that the conflicts may be between multiple sides - athlete, former owner, new boss, sponsors ? That is why a good sports agent should excel in communication, negotiation and persuasion.
"It is really not as splendid as it looks," says Wang. "Only we ourselves know the hardship we suffer. We're always running against time and space."
Because of such a busy schedule, Wang's still not thought of marriage. "I'm out working all the time and have little time to be with my girlfriend," says Wang. "That's really a problem for many girls."
A graduate of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, majoring in business administration, Wang is a Hangzhou native and has worked as a sports agent for about five years. In those five years, he has operated in many professional sports including the Chinese Basketball Association League.
His dream of following such a profession began in college, when he saw a US movie called "Jerry Maguire" which tells the story of a sports agent. In 2004, Wang got the sports agent certificate.
It's said that there's a 3F standard for a good job - fun, fame and fortune. In Wang's eyes, his job definitely fits that standard. "Being a sports agent, I can combine my interests and profession very well," says Wang, "I have a good income; my social position is also satisfying, therefore, I can say I have a good job."
However, even if it's a good job, there are only less than 1,000 qualified sports agents in China, and the number is even less in basketball which is the field Wang is most familiar with.
"I think in the next 10 years, China will need at least 7,000 sports agents," says Wang. "I think the current situation is occurring because there's still too few high-end athletes, sports events and promotions domestically."
Recently, Wang has been busy with an important event - the 2010 Hangzhou International Marathon on November 7. How to maximize the social effect of this event is Wang's first and foremost consideration.
As one of the most important marathons in China, the Hangzhou International Marathon enjoys a history of 23 years. The route covers scenic spots such as West Lake, tea garden and Qiantang River and as a result it's known as a "beautiful race." Now, Wang is in charge of the operation of this event.
"I want to make this marathon a famous feature of the city," says Wang. "I'm making efforts to attract more and more people to participate in the event. Just imagine when the fall comes, thousands of marathon runners will be running along the side of the lake, with golden leaves falling and autumn flowers blooming all around. What other city can provide such a dream-like view?"
Being in charge of the Hangzhou International Marathon means Wang is no longer simply an agent for athletes. "The famous sports agent Leigh Steinberg used to say that when he got connected to the huge market, his job changed from athlete agent to the entire promotion of sports with various platforms including TV, movies, games and the Internet. If I can reach his status, I think I'll feel successful."
When darkness falls upon the city, Wang Ran's office is illuminated only by his computer screen. A bento is lying on his desk, already cold. Wang is typing up project plans and the board beside him has his schedule for the next few days - 10am tomorrow, Beijing, talking with sponsors; the day after tomorrow, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, inspecting preparation of an important sports event; after that, flying to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and meeting leaders of the Sports Center ?
That's the life of Wang, a sports agent, and he's totally forgotten his bento.
According to various tales and rumors, many people today have an already formed impression of a sports agent - they handle the super powers bestowed upon sports stars; they're fat, without any sports talent; they transfer the talent of an athlete into merchandise; they're counting money while they're quarreling with athletes; some are even called vampires ?
"That's nonsense!" Wang replies quickly and angrily on hearing such a description of his profession.
"That's not a sports agent. If someone works like that, he'll soon lose his job," he tells Hangzhou Magazine.
Putting such rumors and preconceptions aside, there's one thing for certain - the function of the sports agent is absolutely necessary. No matter if it's Diego Maradona or David Beckham, Yao Ming or Lui Xiang, the efforts of the sport agent definitely cannot be ignored. Bringing athletes up, planning events, that's what they're good at. And during the process, the sports agent learns how to handle the differences and conflicts and take full advantage of all resources.
To protect the privacy of his clients, Wang doesn't want to provide specific examples of how he handles conflicts. The only thing he stresses again and again is that the conflicts may be between multiple sides - athlete, former owner, new boss, sponsors ? That is why a good sports agent should excel in communication, negotiation and persuasion.
"It is really not as splendid as it looks," says Wang. "Only we ourselves know the hardship we suffer. We're always running against time and space."
Because of such a busy schedule, Wang's still not thought of marriage. "I'm out working all the time and have little time to be with my girlfriend," says Wang. "That's really a problem for many girls."
A graduate of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, majoring in business administration, Wang is a Hangzhou native and has worked as a sports agent for about five years. In those five years, he has operated in many professional sports including the Chinese Basketball Association League.
His dream of following such a profession began in college, when he saw a US movie called "Jerry Maguire" which tells the story of a sports agent. In 2004, Wang got the sports agent certificate.
It's said that there's a 3F standard for a good job - fun, fame and fortune. In Wang's eyes, his job definitely fits that standard. "Being a sports agent, I can combine my interests and profession very well," says Wang, "I have a good income; my social position is also satisfying, therefore, I can say I have a good job."
However, even if it's a good job, there are only less than 1,000 qualified sports agents in China, and the number is even less in basketball which is the field Wang is most familiar with.
"I think in the next 10 years, China will need at least 7,000 sports agents," says Wang. "I think the current situation is occurring because there's still too few high-end athletes, sports events and promotions domestically."
Recently, Wang has been busy with an important event - the 2010 Hangzhou International Marathon on November 7. How to maximize the social effect of this event is Wang's first and foremost consideration.
As one of the most important marathons in China, the Hangzhou International Marathon enjoys a history of 23 years. The route covers scenic spots such as West Lake, tea garden and Qiantang River and as a result it's known as a "beautiful race." Now, Wang is in charge of the operation of this event.
"I want to make this marathon a famous feature of the city," says Wang. "I'm making efforts to attract more and more people to participate in the event. Just imagine when the fall comes, thousands of marathon runners will be running along the side of the lake, with golden leaves falling and autumn flowers blooming all around. What other city can provide such a dream-like view?"
Being in charge of the Hangzhou International Marathon means Wang is no longer simply an agent for athletes. "The famous sports agent Leigh Steinberg used to say that when he got connected to the huge market, his job changed from athlete agent to the entire promotion of sports with various platforms including TV, movies, games and the Internet. If I can reach his status, I think I'll feel successful."
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