Why the 2023/24 season will be a success for AceBoy Sports Group

Hey everyone!

I hope your week has been well and to all the NBA fans reading today I hope that you were happy with your team’s decisions following the trade deadline yesterday! While I’d love to spend some time debating just how successful the Suns might be with Kevin Durant, that isn’t really the point of this newsletter. I will however say that LeBron is now the undisputed GOAT after breaking the all-time scoring record, and I’m fairly confident he’ll eclipse the 42,000 mark by the time he retires. But anyways, onto the good stuff!

Last week I gave you all an update on what the company has been up to in recent weeks and what we’ve got coming up in the short to medium term. This week’s edition will focus on why I believe the 2023/24 football season will be a success for the athlete representation arm of AceBoy Sports Group. So without further ado, let’s get stuck in!

Our current roster

Since I last gave you an update on our client athletes, I had left one off the list; Quinaceo Hunt. I first signed with Q back in 2020, and have been with him ever since, however our contract had expired and he took some time to make the right decision for himself. Q is a goalkeeper and as we all know, it can be difficult to make a name for yourself in non-league, especially as a keeper. He is a member of the Bermuda Men’s National Team and is fantastic with his feet, which is appreciated by clubs higher up the pyramid, but unfortunately for him, can be overlooked by lower level clubs looking to simply play route-one football.

Nevertheless, Quinaceo has shown his talent at various clubs from Step 5-6 including Thornaby FC and now Pickering Town FC. He has also been a frequent member at National League North outfit Spennymoor Town FC, where he periodically trains with the first team. He has also impressed in trials with clubs at Step 3, but decided against making the move based on moving/living logistics midseason. Anyways, Q and I have recently just resigned to a one year extension, making him the first client I have agreed to an extension with! I’m very excited for Q going into the second half of the season, where he continues to showcase his abilities with Pickering.

Along with Ryan and Amar, Quinaceo is planning on moving up at least one division next season, with his eyes set on Step 4 and 3. With conversations we have had with clubs during the early days of 2023, I am confident that these guys will get the moves they are hoping for. Their work ethic is inspiring and their talent speaks for itself, and I back them all the way to continue their own development going into next season. Showing the strength of our roster will hopefully make us an attractive management agency to be a part of for other Bermudian footballers.

New targets

Ideally, I like to sign new players going into certain stages of the season. Whether this be just before the various breaks surrounding Christmas and the New Year (when I signed Amar and then Ryan), or in the summer once the season has ended but before pre-season kicks off (Quinaceo and previous clients), I’ll plan on doing the same this offseason. Firstly, I’ll need to pass the FIFA Agent Exam and although I have already started studying independently and signed up for a few highly recommended courses, it is still nerve-wracking to say the least. Assuming all goes well on that front (I’m confident it will), I will be looking to bring in one or two new footballers going in to the 2023 summer pre-season.

As done in previous recruitment periods, I will be looking at footballers who are 20+ and have experience playing in the UK already. I think that 2024 will be the year when I begin to target younger players for academy placements, once my status as a licensed FIFA agent is confirmed and settled. These new targets will also ideally be playing no lower than Step 4, with the potential to make it to at least National League. I think that can be my niche for the next couple years, especially while I build out the academy client side of the representation arm. Assuming this all goes according to plan (it will!), it will be an exciting 2023/24 season for ABSG athletes!

Potential partnerships

One of the overarching goals of the 2022 and 2023 was to strengthen existing relationships with clubs, and also build go-to relationships with new clubs. I’ve learned that it is crucial for agents to have a club network they can rely on for their clients, to be able to get in touch with a decision-maker and instantly pitch a player. This isn’t all one-sided however, I’m well aware agents need to understand the needs of certain clubs, and that is something I’ve been dedicated to learning more about during the 2022/23 season. I have also had very encouraging discussions with officials at a few clubs in Step 3 and 4, with some promising talks scheduled in the coming months with clubs in Scotland.

Building and then subsequently maintaining these relationships is crucial for the success of our client athletes, and it is imperative we continue to expand on this operation. While we have a decent go-to club network at the moment, it is important to remember that these clubs are also part of the networks of other, more successful, potentially larger agencies with more talented clients. However, as our current roster continues to develop, and we continue to add talent to that roster, we can market ourselves better to a variety of clubs at various different levels.

Thanks for reading this week’s edition of Learning the Venture! If you liked what you read, please share and subscribe if you are new!

Wish our Reapers luck in their final regular season game tomorrow, and get ready for playoffs next Saturday!

Check you later!

Jason