May 2005

Beginning May 2nd our new eight week online Basketball General Manager and Scouting Course will be available to students anywhere in the world via computer!

Dr. Lynn Lashbrook (SMWW President) will now be working closly with Chad Ford (ESPN.com) and will provide students the in-depth hands-on training and instruction necessary to succeed as a scout, GM or Director of player personnel.

The course will also include weekly chats with two of the great minds in basketball analysis currently working in the front office, Mark Warkentien, Director of Player Personnel, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dean Oliver, Statistical Consultant for theSeattle Sonics).

"Perhaps no professional sport is constantly changing as much as basketball," said Dr. Lynn Lashbrook.

"And as the personnel director for one of the NBA's premier franchises, I can't think of anyone better equipped to show students the ropes of talent evaluation than the professors we have for this course, especially two guys working for teams who are in the thick of it. Adding Chad Ford and Dean Oliver really takes this course to a whole new level."

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Sports Revenue Management Course

New, Improved And Better Than Ever!

Last month we found the perfect sports marketing veteran to join SMWW Sports Revenue Management instructor Tom Leip in facilitating our SRM Course: Bret Polverosa, Founder and President of Grip Inc. And the verdict is in: this course is improved and better than ever!

"After reading the week 2 assignments, I feel very informed about what makes a good salesperson and what not to believe about ticket selling," said SRM student Jason Lottman. "I already know more about the sports marketing world than I ever thought I would."

Leip and Polverosa bring to students hoards of experience and insight, and will provide for them a blueprint for a successful career in sports marketing.

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Baseball General Manager And Scouting Course

If You've Dreamt Of Working In The Majors, You Need Not Look Any Further!

When it comes to educating and preparing individuals for careers in sports, SMWW is at the forefront in providing students with the hands-on skills necessary to get a foot in the door and realize their dreams. This course will provide former ballplayers, coaches or baseball fans an inner knowledge on how it all works behind the scenes.

Under the instruction of ESPN analyst Rob Neyer, individuals taking our Baseball and GM Scouting course will be provided a basic, sound foundation for learning the scouting profession.

Rob's extensive knowledge and experiences allow him to offer perspectives from both "inside" and "outside," resulting in a nuanced view that is rare among those connected to the game. Through his weekly online chat tutelage, Neyer gives students a deeper insight into baseball than they can find anywhere else.

Always on the cutting edge of technology and teaching, our students are constantly presented new ideas that are on the horizon and not found in typical textbooks and classrooms.

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Let SMWW Show You The Way

An Open Letter To Potential Agent Advisors

Dear Potential Sports Agent:

You obviously know what life is like as a spectator. If you're tired of it, then let us show how life with SMWW will forever change your career for the better.

The 2005 NFL Draft probably confirmed what you've known all along: you want to be an agent but aren't sure where to start. You've got the desire and talent but lack the experience. Thus far your only foray into athlete management stems from your neighbor's Fantasy Football draft, and that just isn't cutting it anymore. Simply put, you'd rather be working behind the scenes at the draft instead of watching the coverage from your Lazyboy.

The good news is that while the corporate establishment of the sports agent industry doesn't like to give "how to" lessons, we do! And in a little over a year's time, SMWW can transform you from fan to active Agent Advisor. Let us show you how!

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Representing Athletes Of All Sports, Shapes And Sizes

SMWW Agent Advisor May Have New Favorite Sports But...

Who knew that arm wrestlers and table tennis players needed sports agents? SMWW Agent Advisor Ward Coffman of course! After all, at SMWW, we've represented badminton players, bodybuilders, a female football player, surfers, blind mushers, mountain climbers, javelin throwers and many others! SMWW agent advisor Ward Coffman is currently representing Olena Sowers, the #1 ranked table tennis player in the world in the under 14 division, as well as Travis Bagent, the #2 arm wrestler in North America. Sowers and Bagent are two examples of very non-traditional clients in very different sports, but who demand the same representation as athletes in the NFL, NHL or NBA.

The big three -- football, basketball and baseball, along with hockey, soccer and a few others - is where most agents probably envision their clients coming from. However, as Coffman has demonstrated with Sowers and Bagent, the field of athlete management is constantly growing and evolving. New clients are emerging from unconventional sports and competitions, and it's up to the agent industry to recognize that the basic needs of all athletes are universal.

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2005 NFL Draft

Why Didn't My Son Get Drafted?

Good college football players typically aren't used to having the odds stacked against them. Many were the best on their high school and college teams, and most believe an NFL career is likely if not imminent. Being cut or not picked at all just isn't something they think about. But the reality is that no matter how good a player may be on the collegiate level, playing pro ball is a long shot. Unfortunately, year after year, draft after draft, many NFL hopefuls fail to grasp this concept.

Roughly 2% of all Division 1 players get the opportunity to play professionally. Even if they do get drafted or signed as a free agent, only 1% of Division 1 athletes make a professional team. That is excluding Division 2 players or the NAIA.

The NFL is an exclusive club and you have to be special or have unique athleticism to make it. Thousands of athletes have the physical ability to play in the NFL but lack the mental makeup scouts look for. That, along with versatility, is what separates those who get cut from those who stick around.

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Dr. Lynn Lashbrook and George Brett

Thanks to MLB Hall of Famer George Brett for golfing in the Joshua Child and Family Center Golf Tournament on May 2. The Joshua Center is named after Dr. Lashbrook's nephew. The Joshua Center is a resource for families all over the world addressing issues with Tourette's syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Asperger Syndrome. Dr. Lashbrook's sister Becky runs the center in Kansas.

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