Welcome to episode 263 of SPorts Management Podcast.

Why do so many talented athletes make the wrong career decisions?

In this episode of Sports Management Podcast, veteran NFL agent and sports attorney Craig Domann shares what he's learned from negotiating more than $1 billion in professional sports contracts and advising athletes for over 35 years.

We discuss why chasing the biggest NIL offer isn't always the smartest move, what separates great negotiators from average ones, the hidden clauses that can make or break a contract, and why the best career decisions aren't always the most lucrative ones.

Whether you're an athlete, agent, coach, parent, or sports business professional, this conversation offers practical lessons on negotiation, leadership, decision-making, and building a long-term career in sport.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why money can lead athletes to make poor career decisions

• The long-term impact of NIL on player development

• The hidden details that matter more than contract value

• What makes a great sports agent and negotiator

• Common misconceptions about athlete representation

• Advice for athletes, parents, and aspiring sports professionals

If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone passionate about the business of sport.

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction 00:26 How Craig Domann Became an NFL Agent 01:51 How NIL Works for Most College Athletes 02:49 Why Chasing the Biggest NIL Deal Can Hurt Your Career 04:05 The Non-Financial Factors Athletes Ignore 05:04 Has NIL Changed College Sports Forever? 06:37 The Problem With Money-Driven Advisors 07:52 Choosing the Right School vs. the Biggest Paycheck 08:58 Why Every Athlete Needs the Right Mentor 10:03 Being a Father, Coach & Agent at the Same Time 11:52 Negotiating Over $1 Billion in Sports Contracts 12:14 What Makes a Great Sports Negotiator? 15:22 The Hidden Clauses Inside Million-Dollar Contracts 17:23 The Biggest Misconceptions About Sports Agents 20:20 Why Relationships Matter More Than Aggressive Negotiation 21:55 The Pro Mindset That Separates Great Athletes 23:37 Daily Habits of Elite Performers 29:50 How Craig Developed the Pro Mindset Framework 31:40 Career Lessons From 35 Years in Sports 32:52 Craig's Advice to Anyone Wanting a Career in Sports

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Welcome to episode 262 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Mike Carney, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of On Deck Partners. Before building one of the most innovative ownership groups in Minor League Baseball, Mike worked as an engineer at NASA before leading business strategy for the Washington Nationals. In this episode, he shares why great sports organizations start with solving problems for fans.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Transitioning from NASA to professional sports
• Building community-first sports organizations
• Why fan experience drives long-term value
• The future of private equity in sports

00:00 From NASA to Sports

00:17 Why Engineers Fit Sports

02:22 Joining the Washington Nationals

03:28 Business Strategy Explained

04:37 Solving Fan Problems

06:13 The Future of Fan Engagement

08:31 Building On Deck Partners

10:45 Creating Community Value

14:58 Private Equity in Sports

16:18 The Modern Fan Experience

18:33 Lessons from Sports Leadership

22:05 Why Transparency Matters

23:32 Advice for Future Sports Professionals

25:45 Inside On Deck Partners

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Welcome to episode 261 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Brando Babini, founder of Youth4Youth FC, a player-led development program that is challenging traditional youth soccer in the United States. Starting the company at just 16 years old, Brando has built a thriving community, partnered with Nike, and is proving that mentorship, social media, and player-first development can transform the game.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Why the pay-to-play model needs to evolve
• Building a football company at just 16 years old
• Using social media to grow a sports business
• Why mentorship matters as much as coaching

00:00 Meet Brando Babini

00:13 Why Youth4Youth Exists

01:15 A Gen Z-Led Football Revolution

02:25 Fixing Pay-to-Play

05:12 Building a Sustainable Model

07:49 Player-First Development

10:01 What Success Really Means

12:20 Growing Through Social Media

14:48 Partnering with Nike

16:49 Building a Startup Team

18:10 Parents & Player Motivation

19:51 Starting a Company at 16

22:41 Learning to Let Go

25:56 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

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Welcome to episode 260 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Evan Dabby, CEO of New Jersey Youth Soccer, one of the largest youth soccer organizations in the United States. With over 120,000 players, Evan shares how youth soccer is evolving, why player development should come before winning, and how the FIFA World Cup is creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow the game across America.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• How the FIFA World Cup is inspiring the next generation
• Why player development should come before winning
• The challenges of youth sports, parents and coaching
• Growing participation while making soccer more accessible

00:00 Welcome Evan Dabby

00:29 The World Cup Impact in New Jersey

03:20 Growing 120,000 Youth Players

05:50 Technology & Participation

08:20 Player-Centered Development

10:09 Advice from Tab Ramos

11:08 Parents on the Sidelines

15:12 Girls' Soccer Growth

18:52 Should Kids Specialize?

20:41 Coaching Better Players

21:35 Evan's Career Journey

23:23 The Power of Networking

26:45 Advice for Students

30:19 The Future of Youth Soccer

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Welcome to episode 259of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Santiago Halty, Founder and CEO of Senda Athletics, one of the world's leading Fair Trade-certified football brands. From launching ethically manufactured footballs to seeing Senda products on football's biggest stage, Santiago shares the remarkable journey of building a purpose-driven sports brand while competing against industry giants.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Building a Fair Trade football brand from scratch
• Competing against Nike and adidas through niche innovation
• How Senda reached the FIFA World Cup
• Why purpose and performance can coexist in sports business
• The Vózinha story

00:00 Welcome Santiago Halty

00:19 The Vision Behind Senda

01:45 Why Fair Trade Matters

02:27 Competing Against Nike & adidas

03:42 Winning Through Futsal

04:45 Building a FIFA-Quality Ball

06:14 World Cup Success Story

08:02 Becoming the Official Match Ball

09:39 The Innovation Behind Senda Boots

12:21 The Story of Vózinha

18:14 Raising Investment for Growth

19:42 The Future of Senda

21:07 Becoming a Top 10 Football Brand

22:11 Messi's Last World Cup?

23:26 What's Next for Senda?

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Welcome to episode 258of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Sam Houlding, Managing Director of B2B at Spotlight Sports Group. Sam has spent more than 16 years helping transform one of the world's leading sports media businesses while working at the intersection of sports media, technology, data, fan engagement and betting. In this episode, he explains why horse racing doesn't have an audience problem - it has an accessibility problem and how the sport can unlock millions of new fans.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Why horse racing has a potential audience of 200 million new fans
• How Formula One's growth offers lessons for every sport
• Why sports should prioritize fans before betting
• The importance of storytelling, data and digital experiences

00:00 Welcome Sam Houlding

00:15 Spotlight Sports Group Explained

01:55 The 200 Million Fan Opportunity

05:00 Why Racing Struggles to Grow

07:01 Accessibility Beats Awareness

10:24 Formula One's Winning Playbook

12:04 Betting vs Growing the Sport

14:03 Turning Data Into Fan Experiences

17:08 The Five Growth Priorities

19:07 Why Digital Comes First

21:21 The Future of Horse Racing

22:39 Sam's Career Journey

24:15 Lessons From Career Setbacks

26:06 Advice for Young Sports Professionals

27:36 Networking That Actually Works

SPONSOR:

Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20.

All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.

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Welcome to episode 257 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Arturo Hoyos, coach at Surf Soccer Club and founder of Elite IQ Football, where he specializes in developing elite youth football players through long-term athlete development and coach education.

In this episode we discuss why development should always come before winning, how parents influence player success, what separates elite players from everyone else, and why mentality often matters more than talent.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Why player development should always come before winning

• The role parents play in youth football success

• How elite football environments develop future professionals

• Why mentality beats talent over the long term

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome Arturo Hoyos

00:22 Inside Surf Soccer Club

01:14 Building Character Through Football

02:42 Managing Ambitious Parents

05:15 Development Before Winning

07:02 When Winning Starts to Matter

08:49 College & National Team Pathways

10:22 Following Players for Years

11:20 Private Coaching for Young Players

13:00 Can You Spot Future Stars?

16:18 The Growth of Football in America

20:25 Becoming a Licensed Coach

26:04 From Corporate Life to Football Coach

29:37 The Future of Coaching

31:11 Advice for Future Coaches

SPONSOR:

Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20.

All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.

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Welcome to episode 256 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Ioannis Drymonakos, former Olympic swimmer, European record holder, World Championship finalist, and founder of Swimming Cruise.

Ioannis represented Greece at three Olympic Games, competed against legends like Michael Phelps, and became one of Greece's most successful swimmers before transitioning into entrepreneurship through sports tourism and wellness experiences in Greece.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Competing at three Olympic Games and against Michael Phelps

• The sacrifices and realities of elite swimming

• Life after professional sport and becoming an entrepreneur

• Building Swimming Cruise and the future of sports tourism

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:24 Discovering Swimming

02:17 The Road to the Olympics

04:19 Learning from Legends

06:12 The Hardest Part of Elite Sport

08:29 First Olympic Memories

10:32 Breaking a European Record

14:06 Career Highlight: World Championship Final

15:33 Dealing with Setbacks

17:07 Building Swimming Cruise

19:33 Why Poros Is Perfect

24:19 Lessons from Survivor

27:18 Open Water vs Pool Swimming

30:56 Coaching Amateur Swimmers

32:10 Growing a Sports Tourism Business

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Welcome to episode 255 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Sherry Levin, leadership expert, speaker, author of Pregame: A Winning Mindset, former basketball coach, ESPN analyst, and resilience advocate.

Over decades in sports, coaching, broadcasting, and leadership development, Sherry has helped athletes and professionals unlock the power of mindset, confidence, resilience, and personal growth.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Why mindset may account for 70-80% of performance • Building resilience through failure and adversity • Leadership lessons from decades of coaching elite athletes • Practical tools for confidence, gratitude, and mental toughness

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction

01:07 Why Sports Teach Life Skills

06:05 Becoming a Coach

08:37 Why Mindset Matters

10:10 Training Your Mindset

12:18 The Power of Gratitude

13:50 Mental Resets & Self-Talk

15:54 Building Confidence Through Positivity

17:39 Leadership Evolution

20:20 Demanding Without Demeaning

22:54 Resilience Through Failure

26:29 Writing Pregame: A Winning Mindset

32:16 Social Media & Mental Strength

35:12 Overcoming Cancer

40:41 Advice for Future Sports Leaders

44:11 Guest Recommendation & Closing

SPONSOR:

Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20.

All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.

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www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

Welcome to episode 254 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Ugo Valensi, CEO of Volleyball World. Ugo has held leadership roles across sports, media, and commercial strategy, including senior positions in tennis, football, and global sports marketing. In this episode, he shares how Volleyball World is transforming one of the world's largest participation sports into a global commercial powerhouse.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• How Volleyball World is commercializing a sport with 800 million fans

• The role of CVC Capital Partners in accelerating growth

• Building athlete brands and fan engagement in volleyball

• Future trends in sports media, OTT platforms, and content consumption

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction to Volleyball World

00:15 What Volleyball World Actually Does

01:24 Commercializing an 800 Million Fan Sport

03:26 Lessons from Tennis & Football

05:05 Athlete Storytelling & Docuseries

06:12 Indoor vs Beach Volleyball

08:09 Reinventing Beach Volleyball

08:23 Road to Los Angeles 2028

09:42 Volleyball's Biggest Growth Markets

11:38 Planning Events Years Ahead

13:05 Vision for the Next Five Years

14:33 The Future of Sports Consumption

16:25 Creating One Global Fan Narrative

17:20 Ugo's Career Journey

24:10 Networking & Career Advice

28:28 The Role of Private Equity in Sports

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