The Worst Type of Conman
What this weekly newsletter is all about:?Analyzing, discussing, and prescribing best practices for families in both education and youth sports. Please follow, share, or comment. Thank you!
Newsletter content:
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Overview and book excerpt-->
Let me start by saying that immoral ambulance chasers should not detract from the respect that true lawyers deserve, and the same goes for doctors who are on the take from pharmaceutical companies or financial advisors who are not acting in the best interests of their clients. There are bad actors in every industry, and if the majority of actors in a field are honest and providing value, then it is not my place to run down that entire profession.
That being said, there is a special place in hell for snake oil salesmen who flog miracle health cures and get rich quick schemes that prey on the ignorant, but some youth sports “advisors” are giving them a run for their money. The opening play is simple and well established: Shower an above average player with some praise and throw out a question to the parent along the lines of “Is he committed somewhere yet?” The “advisor” is fishing at this point, specifically through the framing of the question. Parents who played themselves or are in a line of work that attracts people of this ilk will be able to spot the inherent sales pitch in an apparently innocuous question. Parents who have older children that have been through this process before are also well equipped to spot the BS. However, parents who are ignorant of the sport, or even worse sports in general, are easy prey.
The charlatan is very careful not to commit or overextend himself. He uses abstract words and statements, like “In my eyes,” “For what it’s worth,” “Potential,” “Upward trajectory,” “Late bloomer,” “Promising,” etc. He is careful not to box himself in, especially in writing. It is amazing to reflect on a conversation with a skilled conman and to realize how little was actually said. Platitudes abound, positive thinking phrases are ubiquitous, but no concrete promises or even steps are laid out, and of course they aren’t. As any good fraud knows, you never show what is behind the curtain until the check has cleared (and only after you have left town), especially when the sausage being made is right out of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.
My advice to players who are looking to play at a higher level is to focus on the things that they can control, specifically their skill development, work ethic, and attitude. Literally everything else is out of their control. What team they play in a tournament, whether their coach puts them on the power play, what scouts show up to a certain game, and so on. If they are the real deal, they will be found. If they are not, then they won’t. This is especially true in the age of the Internet. Scouts can watch games from across the world, even in real time. They can receive clips, research stats, communicate with regional sources in a plethora of ways, and truly reach every corner of the globe.
It is not unheard of for “family advisors” to charge a player $200–300 per month to “represent them,” whatever that means. If I was going to be paying someone $3600 a year, I would want to know what I am getting in return, as well as statistics and evidence to back up the promise. How many players has the advisor advanced to the next level? Can I speak to some of those players’ parents to hear about their experience? Be on the lookout for these con artists. They are skilled at their methods, but can often be spotted if we take a step back and evaluate who is truly benefiting the most from a potential transaction.
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Article of the week--> Roman Stubbs for WaPo: "Billions flow through youth sports. And some of it keeps disappearing."
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Some of the key quotes:
"Youth sports in recent years have exploded into a $19 billion enterprise, by some accounts, but their ecosystem is built on a shaky foundation of nonprofit clubs, many run by volunteers. They operate as big businesses but have sloppy accounting and murky financial oversight."
"Clubs across many sports, including soccer, basketball and volleyball, rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars per year from registration fees, fundraisers, private training and camps, but checks and balances on the flow of that money are often absent. As the industry continues to grow, many clubs find themselves vulnerable, and embezzlement scandals have fractured organizations and communities across the country"
"There’s often no governance of youth sports organizations — not from parents, sponsors or local governments — and most embezzlement cases involve treasurers or volunteer board members who have been trusted with an organization’s funds, with little to no checks and balances on how budgets are operated."
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Tweet of the week--> @DStarmanHockey about "showcases" charging for tickets into events that parents are funding through their team fees. They really do get you coming and going.
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Exercise of the week-->
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See you next week!