Lee Melchionni Interview

Leadership Portfolio Interview

The person that I interviewed was Lee Melchionni. I became very interested in interviewing Mr. Melchionni when I read that he was a sports agent in an article under the sports agent blog. I was reading the article on B.J. Armstrong, a former basketball player who became an agent. I was excited to read about Lee Melchionni because he came from the area that I live in and knew people that I knew. Mr. Melchionni played basketball for Duke University, a very recognizable division one school. Mr. Melchionni works at Wasserman Media group in Los Angeles, California. The Wasserman media group is run by Art Tellem whose company represents 10 NBA players. The Wasserman Media Group also represents other sports like baseball, BMX, Broadcasting, football/soccer, golf, rugby, snowboard, surf, and women sports. Wasserman Media Group played a major role in the NBA’s association with the T-mobile.

I was able to get in touch with Mr. Melchionni through facebook. I asked Mr. Melchionni for a friend request and then sent him an email. In the email, I introduced myself as a former college basketball player that was interested in becoming a sports agent. I also told him that I was currently teaching basketball with Jay Jameson at Total Body Fitness. I was very excited about getting the opportunity to make a major contact like Lee Melchionni. I asked Mr. Melchionni seven different questions like why he wanted to become a sports agent and if it was an advantage being a former basketball player. I was surprised by Mr. Melchionni response to my question. He told me that he had no intention of becoming a sports agent. His eyes were opened up when Arn Tellem came to Duke his senior year. Mr. Melchionni had dinner with him and Bob Myers while they were at Duke. Mr. Tellem was there to recruit his teammates Shelden Williams and JJ Redick. Mr. Melchionni got a job playing basketball in Italy through a European Agent. He was given an opportunity to work with the Wasserman Media Group when Mr. Tellem called him and offered him an opportunity to work with his agency. Mr. Melchionni said he knew his future was in business and not in basketball. I played division three basketball and I knew that my future was in the business side of basketball and not on the basketball court. I was like Mr. Melchionni and did not plan on becoming a sports agent. I had a year and a half of sales experience and I realized that I was a good salesman. I was inspired to become a sports agent when my friend Jason Hall and Corey Rich asked me if I could represent them when they got to the professional level of basketball. This is what inspired me to want be a sports agent.

I remember learning in business storytelling and brand development the law of contraction. The next question that I asked Mr. Melchionni was if he was going to be a sports agent for just basketball players or any sport. His response was that he just works on the basketball side of the company. Mr. Melchionni told me that he wants to expand in the sports representation as he grows and learn. I like the law of contraction in which I would focus on one sport, which is basketball. The reason that I feel the most comfortable working with basketball players is because I am very knowledgeable about the game of basketball and I have a passion for the game. I believe I can develop my clients’ into better basketball players and helping my clients’ with whatever they need. The next question that I asked him was their any specific credentials in becoming a sports agent. He told me that there are no real credentials to become a certified NBA player agent. Mr. Melchionni told me that you have to pay your dues every year and cannot be a felon. He told me the exact requirements are on the NBPA website. I was glad to hear that from Mr. Melchionni because I want to run my own basketball business along with representing professional basketball players. I am getting practice right now by booking basketball camps for my friend Corey Rich to speak.

The next thing I wanted to know from Mr. Melchionni was what part of the job did you find most satisfying and most challenging. He told me that it is rewarding to watch a client succeed on and off the court as a result of the guidance that you provide them as a sports agent. This is the part of the job that enticed me because I enjoy helping people that want to be successful. Mr. Melchionni explained to me that you want to ensure that your client only has to worry about performing on the basketball court. He told me the most challenging part of the job is being on call essentially 24/7/365 days a year but it beats a real job. That is what makes me very interested in representing basketball players because I want to have a job that is spontaneous and that I thoroughly enjoy.

Then I asked Mr. Melchionni the most important question about trying to break into the field. He told me that the sports agent business is very hard to break into. I understood that this was the case when I worked on getting an interview with Andre Buck. Mr. Buck is a local sports agent in the area that I live in. Mr. Melchionni explained to me that players are the lifeblood of the business and in order to be a successful agent you must be able to sign and retain players. The best way to retain your clients’ is to do an excellent job representing your clients’ to where the client you represent is more than satisfied with the service that you provide them. Then you can get more clients’ by building a great reputation of satisfaction from your other clients.’ Mr. Melchionni’s advice to me was obtaining a graduate degree of some kind and ad value to a sports agency in any way possible. After proving your worth to the senior people in the company you might get a chance to start working with players and grow individually. His advice relates to the first law in the 48 laws of power, which is to never outshine the master. I learned that I must be humble and hard working to prove my worth to other senior people who have proven their worth. He advised me to be persistent, send my resume, call people, make connections and most importantly use people I know. I realized that if I want to be a successful sports agent bad enough that I can do it.

I can use my basketball background at Arcadia University to my advantage in landing an internship with a specific company. Mr. Melchionni told me that playing at Duke University was a great asset in landing a job at Wasserman Media Group. He told me the most important qualities in being a sports agent is having a great personality and being able to connect with other people. Mr. Melchionni’s advice goes along with Ken Lehner advice which an ability to sell your self to the company and then being able to sell your self to the clients.’ I believe that I have the enthusiasm and the energy and natural willingness to help people, which gives me an edge in becoming a great sports agent. However, I need to pay my dues like Mr. Melchionni explained to me. I am gaining good experience right now by making connections through facebook, linked in, twitter and blogger and obtaining my graduate degree. I am also learning the nuances of the basketball business by working with Jay Jameson basketball.

Steroid Era in Baseball: Top story of the Decade

The biggest story in the last decade is the steroid era in baseball. The steroid era made the homeruns going out at a fast rate then ever. The most swirling controversy came when Barry Bonds was setting all kinds of homerun records like the most homeruns in a season with 73 and the most homeruns of all time. I remember the hype was bigger for Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire chasing the single season homerun record of Roger Maris. The homerun record has stood so long that it was almost legendary when Mark McGwire broke the record.

The steroid era in baseball mostly affects student-athletes. The reason that I say that is because younger athletes look at professional athletes as mentors. The steroids users in baseball are setting a bad example for up and coming athletes. Financially, the steroid era put a lot of people in the seats. Everyone wanted to see the game when Barry Bonds broke the all time homerun record. Mr. Bonds reputation dropped quickly when his name was associated with steroids. No one likes a cheater according to Josh Feinberg article on student athletes perceptions of athletes who cheat. Mr. Feinberg relates the students attitudes to the perception of students cheating in school (2009). The problem with the steroid era in baseball is that the players were getting away with using steroids for a long time because the fans were packing the seats to see the homeruns being hit at a rapid rate.

As a former student athlete, I feel that baseball needs to punish the superstar player who took steroids by not letting them into the hall of fame. Jim Bunning, a former baseball player turned announcer furthers my argument by saying major league baseball needs to set an example for children and young athletes not to use steroids as a way to get ahead of the competition (Schlesinger 2009). There is no place for cheaters in the hall of fame when the previous baseball players set their records through honest hard work. That is the message that needs to be sent to students across the country that great achievements are accomplished through hard work, determination, and desire. As a former student athlete, I realize that they put a lot of pressure on you to perform and that is why athletes choose to have an edge like steroids. Athletes need to start thinking of the long run and not the instant boost that steroids give the athletes. I realized in life that the harder you have to work to get something the more fulfilling it becomes. I hope the athletes of the future will understand that cheating will only help them in the short run but will hurt them badly in the long run of their life.

References

Schlesinger, R (2009). Steroids, Baseball and the Hall of Fame. Retrieved from

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2009/07/26/steroids-baseball-and-the-hall-of-fame.html

Feinberg, J. (2009). College students’ Perceptions of Athletes Who Cheat: The Role of performance and History. Journal of sports behavior. Retrieved March 18, 2010 from EBSCO host database

Video to top stories of the decade

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1368367744

Filling the Seats in a Down Economy

There are many creative ways in filling in the seats in a downward economy. The article that I read “Taking attendance: Facilities Find Creative Ways to Fill seats in a Down Economy” asserts great ideas and examples of how to fill the seats in a stadium or a theatre despite the bad economy. I found statements in the book “The Business of Sports very interesting in how fans think about their team. Mark Conrad who expressed points of view like psychological reasons why fans are loyal to their team wrote the book. Conrad explained that an average fan is loyal to their team because the fan is benefiting through entertainment, escape, eustress, aesthetic, family, self-esteem, and group affiliation (2009). I realized what Conrad was saying was true from being a sports fan myself. I am a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and it seems like sometimes the football team comes before my life. I always make time to watch the football game no matter how busy I am in my life. Now the reason that the subject of fan loyalty is so important is because they are the target audience that will decide if the seats are filled on a regular basis. Sports are a unique business because people are paying their hard earned money in order to fulfill their emotional and psychological needs rather than the necessities of life. When the economy is bad you would think that people would just buy things that they had to have versus the luxury of going to a sports event to cheer on their team.

There is a lot of money to be made in the sports industry or in any facility. Money to be made from a facility includes concessions, parking, naming rights of the stadium, and luxury seating. An example of a profitable stadium is the Dallas Cowboys Stadium where the team is profitable because of television time and loyal fans. A major part of a stadium is having exclusive advertizing where only one product of a similar type is marketed at that facility. The most important thing that I got from the article is making sure the fans really enjoy the experience at the stadium or facility. I remember watching a Dallas Cowboys game and the fans got the experience of watching the game in 3D in the second half of the game. Technology is constantly changing which helps make the experience better for the fans and facilities working hard to market their teams. New technology includes social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, blogger, and Linked In. Each of these websites allows teams to post updated scores for their fans to keep up with their teams despite their busy schedules. The teams also use these networking sites to promote their special days like dollar dog days, which attracts more fans. I noticed after the New Orleans Saints won the super bowl, the first thing they gave credit to was the support of the city of New Orleans and their greats fans which made the fans of New Orleans feel as they played a large role in the Saints winning the Super Bowl. The bottom line is that the fans want to make sure that they are getting good value out of the money they are paying.

References

Conrad, M. (2006). The Business of Sports: A Primer for Journalists. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Fall, S. (2009). Taking Attendance: Facilities find creative ways to fill sears in a down economy. Retrieved from:

http://www.iaam.org/Facility_manager/pages/2009_Jun_July/feature_3.htm

Jason Hall Articles

The two articles below talk about the inspirational story of Jason Hall: philadelphia inquirer

philadelphia tribune Jason is one of the best stories across the country in which he is waiting to get the national exposure that he deserves. Read the articles to know more about Jason's amazing story.

Staying Motivated

I describe myself as a passionate person who really enjoys life. I am currently pursuing three goals that all intertwine. My first goal is at Full Sail University, where I am completing my masters program. Secondly, I am working kids out and making them better basketball players. I am teaching the kids life lessons like hard work, dedication, and fulfillment. I am also teaching the kids how to set small goals and achieve them. I want to be a good influence on as many people as possible. My final goal is to become a sports agent. I want to help hard working athletes achieve their dream. The athletes dream could be playing basketball overseas or in the NBA. I set no limits on myself in what I am capable of accomplishing. I believe that life is simple and people make things complicated. My motivation starts with high expectations for myself. I have also learned about the cold realities of the world through experience and other people's experiences. Therefore, I know that I need to work really hard to get everything out of life that I want. I am dedicated to my goals and I am not going to let anything stop me from achieving my goals. I can envision every goal that I want to accomplish.

Experiences that keep me motivated was that I was put in a situation where I did not have a place to live, no job and no future plans. I always was a goal oriented person but I ran into some bad luck and made some bad decisions. The decisions that hurt me was giving roommates an opportunity to pay the rent when they had not paid the rent in months. I trust people but I am also careful not to trust too easily. There is no better teacher in life than experience. Bad luck would include working with a boss who took advantage of me. I should have not let him take advantage of me. I learned these valuable lessons and I am motivated to achieve major goals in my life. I made specific moves to put my life back in the right direction. I was also given an opportunity by my father to live with him where I would not have to worry about a place to live. I then refocused myself and starting setting goals for myself. My first goal that I had was to save for a car. I knew I could not spend much money but I needed to save most of my money so I could get a car. I was able to save that money so I was able to have a car and a cell phone. At the same time, I set goals to help my friend get noticed in the basketball world. I was able to help get two articles posted in the newspaper.

I also had experience in living in a low income area and higher income area. The experience in the low income area allowed me to appreciate the little things in my life. I realized that people only live one time and that I need to make the most out of my life. I need to be ready to pounce on opportunities that are given to me and make my own opportunities. I like to end this blog believing that I create my own luck through hard work, dedication, desire, and belief.