When an athlete reaches the professional level, few decisions are more important than choosing an agent.

The agent may negotiate the athlete’s contract, help select training facilities, communicate with teams, manage endorsement opportunities and guide a career that could last only a few years.

For some athletes, the person they trust most is already sitting at the family dinner table.

Parents have represented—or played major advisory roles for—some of the biggest names in sports, including Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Marvin Harrison Jr., Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. Love, loyalty and trust, however, do not automatically qualify someone to negotiate a professional sports contract.

The real question is not simply, “Can a parent represent an athlete?”

It is: Does the parent understand the work, the regulations and the responsibility involved?

Parent Representation Is Growing

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels brought new attention to the trend when his mother, Regina Jackson, became an NFLPA-certified contract adviser in 2024. Although Daniels entered the NFL represented by Agency 1 Sports, Jackson pursued certification so she could better understand and help protect her son’s professional interests.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s mother, Heather Van Norman, also became an NFLPA-certified agent and joined his representation team.

Other parents have acted as managers, advisers or negotiators without serving as their child’s certified contract agent.

Lamar Jackson famously entered the NFL without a traditional agent. His mother, Felicia Jones, became his closest business adviser while Jackson represented himself in contract matters.

Marvin Harrison Jr. also entered the NFL without a conventional agent. His father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., helped guide important business discussions, including matters surrounding his son’s licensing relationship with Fanatics.

These arrangements can work—but the title matters. A parent who provides advice is not automatically authorized to negotiate an NFL contract. NFL contract advisers must satisfy NFLPA certification requirements and pass an extensive examination covering the collective bargaining agreement, salary cap, player benefits, contract-adviser regulations and other league policies.

Dr. Lynn Lashbrook Has Represented Football Families Across Generations

Sports Management Worldwide founder Dr. Lynn Lashbrook understands the relationship between professional football and family better than most.

During more than two decades as a registered NFL agent, Dr. Lashbrook has represented over 200 NFL clients, including first-round selections and Pro Bowl players. His client list has included Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins, Brian’s brother Ralph Dawkins and advised Ralph on his son—giving Dr. Lashbrook the uncommon experience of representing brothers and the next generation of the same football family.

Dr. Lashbrook also represented former NFL wide receiver Alex Van Dyke. A decade later, when Van Dyke’s son entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, father and former agent worked together: Alex helped co-represent his son alongside Dr. Lashbrook.

That experience taught Lashbrook that parents can be tremendous assets—but only when they understand where parental advocacy ends and professional representation begins.

Parents often possess qualities that every athlete should want in an adviser: loyalty, honesty, personal knowledge and long-term commitment. They are less likely to disappear following an injury, a disappointing season or an unsuccessful draft.

Professional representation also requires technical expertise, industry relationships and the ability to make difficult decisions without allowing emotion to take over.

Some Parents Take the SMWW Athlete Management Course Before Deciding

Over the years, parents have enrolled in Sports Management Worldwide’s Athlete Management Course for several different reasons.

Some wanted to determine whether they were capable of representing their own son or daughter.

Others wanted to prepare for a players-association certification exam.

Many had no intention of becoming an agent. They simply wanted enough knowledge to evaluate the people recruiting their child and ask better questions before signing a representation agreement.

That education can help a family understand:

• What services an agent will actually provide
• How the agent is compensated
• Who will handle daily communication
• How many other athletes the agent represents
• What happens if the player is injured, released or goes undrafted
• Who pays for training, travel and pre-draft expenses
• Whether the agent is properly certified and registered
• How marketing, NIL and endorsement opportunities will be handled
• How the athlete can terminate the representation agreement

The goal is not to convince every parent to become an agent. It is to give families the knowledge to decide what role they should play.

Students who complete the Athlete Management Course frequently say the experience gives them greater confidence in their ability to represent and advise athletes.

Preparing to Become an NFL Agent

Parents who decide they are capable of doing the work face another challenge: becoming certified.

The NFLPA certification examination is demanding and historically has had a low passage rate. Candidates must understand the collective bargaining agreement, rookie compensation, salary-cap calculations, free agency, grievances, benefits and NFLPA regulations governing contract advisers.

SMWW offers a Football Agent Certification Prep Course led by former NFL agent and CBS Sports contract analyst Joel Corry, together with Dr. Lashbrook. The course uses practice questions, live instruction and detailed examination of NFL contract and salary-cap rules. SMWW reports that 85 percent of participating students have passed the NFLPA examination.

Other graduates have used SMWW’s Athlete Management Course to first determine whether becoming an agent was the right fit before investing the time and money required to pursue certification.

That step is particularly important for parents. Becoming certified solely because a son is approaching the NFL Draft may not be enough. A parent must be prepared to recruit, negotiate, remain certified, build relationships and operate a professional representation business.

What Should a Family Look for in an Agent?

A good agent should offer more than a sales presentation, a list of contacts or promises about where the athlete will be drafted.

Families should ask:

Is the agent properly certified?

Verify the agent’s status directly with the applicable players association. Never rely solely on a website, business card or social-media biography.

Who has the agent represented?

Ask for a complete client history—not merely the agent’s most recognizable client.

How many current clients does the agent have?

A large client list can indicate experience, but families should determine how much attention their athlete will receive.

What happens if the athlete goes undrafted?

This may be the most revealing question. An agent should have a specific strategy for undrafted free agency, rookie minicamps, workouts and alternative leagues.

Who pays the expenses?

Families should understand who is responsible for training, housing, travel, marketing, equipment and other pre-draft costs—and whether any money must be repaid.

Who will communicate with the family?

The person recruiting the athlete may not be the person handling the athlete after the agreement is signed.

Does the agent tell the truth?

An agent should be able to deliver difficult information. Families should be cautious when every prediction sounds optimistic.

What is the long-term plan?

The best representatives prepare athletes for contract negotiations, roster changes, injuries, financial decisions and life after playing.

Free NFL Draft Education for Athletes and Families

SMWW has also begun offering free NFL Player Educational Seminars to help draft-eligible players and their families prepare before making representation and training decisions.

The SMWW NFL Draft Educational Seminar, featuring Dr. Lashbrook and Ric Serritella of All Access Football and NFL Draft Bible, is open to the public.

The NFL Draft process can be difficult to navigate when an athlete and family are unprepared. The seminar addresses:

• Selecting and evaluating an agent
• Choosing a training facility
• Understanding the all-star game process
• Navigating NIL opportunities
• Preparing for the NFL Draft
• Understanding what happens if a player goes undrafted
• Recognizing unrealistic promises and potential warning signs

SMWW’s free DOC Talks and educational seminars provide live access to sports-industry professionals, practical career information and opportunities for participants to ask questions.

Learn about upcoming free SMWW DOC Talks and NFL educational seminars:

Parent-Agents Across Professional Sports

The family-representation model extends well beyond football.

NBA

Trey Burke selected his father, Benji Burke, and cousin Alonzo Shavers to represent him entering the 2013 NBA Draft.

Cassius Stanley was represented by his father, experienced sports agent Jerome Stanley, working alongside veteran NBA representative David Bauman.

Ja Morant’s family later formed an advisory company to assist with his business interests and off-court career, while certified professionals remained available for contract work.

MLB

Parent-agents are less frequently publicized in baseball, although parents often participate heavily in draft and signing decisions. Longtime Yankees executive Ray Negron served as an adviser and agent for his son, Ricky Negron, after the Atlanta Braves drafted him.

NHL

Former NHL player Dave Gagner became a professional hockey agent while his son, Sam Gagner, built a lengthy NHL career.

Hockey also has a well-established “family adviser” system, in which prospects and their parents begin consulting professional representatives before the athlete becomes eligible to sign an NHL contract.

MLS and International Soccer

Family representation is particularly visible in global soccer.

Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, has long been central to his son’s contract and career decisions.

Neymar’s father has managed major elements of Neymar’s business and professional career.

Kylian Mbappé’s parents have played significant roles in negotiations and career planning.

Erling Haaland’s father, former professional player Alf-Inge Haaland, has worked alongside professional representatives in guiding his son’s moves between clubs.

Jude and Jobe Bellingham have also relied heavily on their father, Mark Bellingham, in directing their careers.

These arrangements often use a hybrid structure: the parent maintains control and protects the athlete’s interests while attorneys, licensed agents, tax professionals and marketing specialists provide technical expertise.

Parent or Professional Agent? It Does Not Have to Be One or the Other

The best solution may not require a family to choose between a parent and a professional agent.

A modern athlete’s team might include:

• A parent overseeing the athlete’s long-term interests
• A certified agent negotiating the playing contract
• An attorney reviewing agreements
• A financial adviser protecting the athlete’s money
• A marketing specialist managing NIL and endorsements
• A public-relations professional protecting the athlete’s reputation

Alex Van Dyke’s experience co-representing his son with Dr. Lashbrook is an example of how the model can work. The parent contributes trust, knowledge of the athlete and personal commitment. The experienced agent contributes certification, contacts, negotiating experience and familiarity with professional football.

Each side fills a different role.

Education Is the Best Protection

Parents should never be told to remain uninvolved in their child’s career. They also should not assume that being a devoted parent automatically prepares them to become a professional agent.

The smartest first step is education.

A course cannot replace integrity, experience or relationships. It can, however, help parents understand the work, identify their limitations and decide whether they should become the agent, work alongside an agent or simply become a better-informed advocate for their child.

Whether the parent ultimately becomes the agent or hires one, the objective should remain the same: protect the athlete, prepare for every possible outcome and make decisions based on knowledge rather than promises.