Sports Business Secrets
By Kevin Tarca
This podcast is designed to share secrets from experts in the sports business world to help you along your own path to success in this industry. You’ll hear from general managers of professional teams to CEOs of sports tech companies to agents, coaches, players and everything in between.
Join me in real time on my personal journey of growing my agency, traveling the world and battling through obstacles in this competitive industry!
sportsbusiness.uncut.fm/
www.kevintarca.com
www.kreationtalent.com
Sports Business SecretsDec 05, 2023
Episode 505: Joe Moore, Chief Strategy Officer at Centercourt Sports Academy
Today’s guest is Joe Moore, fellow New Jersey native, former NCAA Lacrosse National Champion & current Chief Strategy Officer at Centercourt Sports Academy!
After playing collegiately at Syracuse University, Joe wanted to continue playing at the next level. He had a short stint as a pro, but at that point he had already realized his potential off the field and was well on his way to success in the business world.
Today we talked about:
- Growing up playing multiple sports
- The post grad path before going to college
- His recruitment process and choosing Syracuse
- Winning a National Championship as a freshman
- The importance of leveraging your passions
- Trying to find an identity outside of lacrosse
- All about Centercourt and their mission
- His entrepreneurial mindset & culture at work
- His leadership techniques & daily routines
- and much more
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
https://www.kevintarca.com/
Episode 504: Goran Sasic, Executive Director EHCB
Episode 503: What is the FIBA Europe Cup?
Here's a little free game for ya. Today I discuss what the FIBA Europe Cup is.
If you want to see this broken down visually, check out my online courses, I just added it in a BONUS module.
kreationtalent.thinkific.com/courses/agent
Episode 502: Brain Dump Monday
College hoops off to a wild start, KTA clients heating up in international competitions, new podcast roundtables & more!
7 weeks until the new year... here's whats on deck this month...
Episode 501: Skye Ettin, Assistant Coach UC Santa Barbara
Todays guest is Skye Ettin, Assistant MBB Coach at UC Santa Barbara.
Skye grew up in Princeton, NJ, where we first met as opponents in high school! He then played collegiately at The College of New Jersey where he was a three-year captain.
After graduating he joined the staff at Princeton University as the Director of Basketball Operations but didn’t take long for him to be named an assistant coach, a role he has filled the previous 6 seasons!
He’s garnered many accolades over that time span, including being named an NABC 30 under 30 honoree and one of the 50 most impactful mid major assistants in the country by Silver Waves Media.
He capped off the Princeton chapter with an unbelievable run to the Sweet 16 in the 2023 NCAA tournament. Skye is now in his first season as an Assistant Coach at UC Santa Barbara.
Today we talked about….
- Growing up in Princeton, NJ
- The recruiting path and early adversity
- The differences between d3 and d1 players
- Why his coaching perspective started in college
- His career at TCNJ and the transition after
- The Sweet Sixteen Run with Princeton
- His new chapter at UC Santa Barbara
- The importance of an international roster
- Where you should play if you want to be seen
- How to build relationships in the industry
- and much more
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
https://www.kevintarca.com/
Episode 500: 🚨Milestone: The Big Five Hundred!
Today is a huge milestone celebration -- 500 episodes!
- No publishing company.
- No financial backing.
- No team of editors.
- No fancy equipment.
- No sponsorships (yet…)
Just a pair of headphones... and a lot of thoughts.
I appreciate all the support so far, here's to the next 500! 🥂
https://www.kevintarca.com/
Episode 499: Evann Baker, Assistant Coach UMBC Men's Basketball
Today’s guest is one of my best friends, Evann Baker, who is currently an Assistant Coach at UMBC!
Evann is originally from Washington D.C. where he quickly became one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. He was named D.C.’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2006 at Archbishop Carroll and went on to play collegiately at Quinnipiac University.
He’s coached at many levels before joining UMBC, including the grassroots level with Team Takeover, being a grad assistant at Penn State and the video coordinator at Akron.
Today Evann shares the journey throughout his playing days and then dives into his current role at UMBC and what’s in store for the upcoming season.
Today we talked about:
- Growing up in DC with his mother and 5 brothers
- His high school experience at Archbishop Carroll
- Some early setbacks that he had to overcome
- Battling through his career ending injury
- The transition to becoming a full time coach
- His coaching stops at Penn State & Akron
- How he ended up as an Assistant at UMBC
- The culture they are building & season expectations
- and much more
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
https://www.kevintarca.com/
Episode 498: Exactly What I'm Doing on October 24, 2023
Here are some KTA client updates and a few things on the winter agenda.
Episode 497: Nik Caner-Medley, Former Pro & Current Entrepreneur
Today’s guest is Nik Caner-Medley, former professional basketball player who is embracing the new chapter in his life as an entrepreneur!
Arguably one of the best prospects to ever come from Maine, Nik took home many awards, including being named the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2002 after averaging 36.5 points during his senior season.He went on to play 4 years at Maryland, finishing as one of five players ever to tally over 1500pts, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals, 100 3’s & 50 blocked shots.
Nik went undrafted in the 2006 NBA draft and eventually signed with the Detroit Pistons as a free agent. After an injury before his rookie season started he had the opportunity to help a team in Germany make a playoff push in 2007. Despite his hesitation, he went for it and it became the true start to his historically successful career abroad.
And that’s just a small piece of his background. I'm just as excited to share with you who Nik is OFF the court and what he's been up to since retirement.
Today we also talked about:
- growing up in Maine
- his routine and work ethic playing hoops as a kid
- when he realized that he could play at the next level
- his AAU opportunity from the Pump Brothers
- the chip on his shoulder from being unranked
- the college recruiting process and why he chose Maryland
- winning an ACC Championship in 2006
- signing with the Pistons after going undrafted
- his mindset when he found out he was going to Germany
- differences between USA and European playing styles
- advice for players who aspire to play at the pro level
- his transition into retirement
- and much more!
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
Episode 496: Exactly What I'm Doing on September 27, 2023
Back in the wonderful U.S of A.
Here's a quick recap of the 9 weeks abroad and what's on the agenda for the rest of the year.
Episode 495: Pro Basketball in Azerbaijan
I spent 5 days in Azerbaijan diving into the vision for professional basketball.
Here is a recap of my trip, some details on the league, and most importantly a few ways I think this market could sneak into an highly sought after destination for import players.
Episode 494: Sports in the United Arab Emirates
It's been interesting to see how different countries value their sports, both on a grassroots level and an elite international level.
I am by no means an expert on the sports market in the UAE after a short trip, but here is a bit deeper dive into the recently approved UAE Sport Strategy 2031.
Episode 493: Exactly What I'm Doing September 17, 2023
Hello from Abu Dhabi. Here is a short recap of the World Cup and a little bit about the trip to the UAE!
Episode 492: Donovan Smith Signs in Azerbaijan
Episode 491: Exactly What I'm Doing on September 5, 2023
Back in Manila and pumped for the last stretch of the 2023 FIBA World Cup!
Here's some behind the scenes on what I've been up to and what's in store for this week.
Episode 490: What Makes A Club Successful Abroad (Part Two)
There are a many variables that go into having a successful pro basketball organization abroad. Depending on the market, certain variables end up being more important than others. But in my opinion, there are 4 that stand out as the most imperative.
In part two today I dive deeper into variables number 3 and 4!
Episode 489: What Makes A Club Successful Abroad (Part One)
There are a many variables that go into having a successful pro basketball organization abroad. Depending on the market, certain variables end up being more important than others. But in my opinion, there are 4 that stand out as the most imperative.
In part one today I dive deeper into the first two!
https://kreationtalent.thinkific.com/courses/agent
Episode 488: Life & Hoops in Hong Kong
Episode 487: Exactly What I'm Dong on July 28, 2023
Episode 486: Solly Fulp, Executive VP of LEARFIELD
Today’s guest is Solly Fulp, Executive Vice President of LEARFIELD!
Solly is responsible for Name, Image & Likeness strategy, growth, and development across LEARFIELD's 180+ university partners. Previously he led the multi-media rights business for university partners in the east region as well as the NCAA, Naming Rights and Campus+ divisions.
The college sports landscape is changing at a pace that is sometimes hard to keep up with. Today Solly explains what some of those changes consist of and why he believes LEARFIELD is positioned to lead the way.
Today we also talked about:
- growing up in a small town in Alaska
- his experience as a wrestler at the University of Oregon
- his transition from college athlete to the "real world"
- the status of NIL in college sports today
- the power of content creation & storytelling
- LEARFIELD Allied program & suite of solutions
- the benefits of NIL no one is talking about
- a strategic agreement with Opendorse
- a breakdown of multimedia rights
- how sponsorship ROI from brands
- and much more!
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
Episode 485: Looking for a College Scholarship?
Do you have a scholarship offer? If the answer is no, you have two choices:
You could either sit on social media and recruiting websites pouting about why your name is not where you want it to be.
Or you could listen to the 4 recommendations I have in this episode and put yourself in a better position for exposure.
Episode 484: Exactly What I'm Doing on July 12, 2023
A rare break from NBA Summer League, KTA client updates, continued bullish views on the Asian markets, the next road trip and more.
Episode 483: Donovan Smith Signs in China
www.kreationtalent.com/donovansmith
Episode 482: Toyoshige Kano Signs In Japan
Toyoshige Kano Highlights
Shibuya Sunrockers Press Release
Tokushima Gambarous Press Release
Episode 481: Djimon Henson Signs in Finland
Djimon Henson has signed to play the 2023-2024 season with Vilpas in the Korisliiga, Finland's top league!
Djimon is coming off an impressive season in Georgia's Superleague. He averaged 22.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists, leading his team to win the Georgian Cup along with taking home the League Championship Trophy. Djimon was voted the MVP of the Superleague Finals as well as the Player of the Year.
Next stop, Finland!
www.kreationtalent.com/djimonhenson
Episode 480: KTA Welcomes Toyoshige Kano
KTA welcomes Toyoshige Kano!
Toyo was born in Tokyo, Japan. When he was 11 years old he moved to the USA with his mother. While in the states he has developed his game at Archbishop Riordan High School, a powerhouse in San Francisco, and most recently at Skyline College.
Tune in to hear more about Toyo as he prepares to begin his rookie season as a professional basketball player!
Episode 479: Darnell Jones, Co-Founder & CEO of POWERHANDZ
Today’s guest is Darnell Jones, Co-Founder & CEO of POWERHANDZ!
Darnell is an entrepreneur, investor, athlete and sales professional. The resilience he needed to overcome obstacles early in his basketball career prepared him for the business world. He began his post playing career in the medical device industry and it didn’t take him long to climb the ladder to leadership positions.
Darnell’s first company, TUKZ Undergarments, was a patented underwear line that was eventually acquired. Shortly after he began his next business venture, POWERHANDZ, which is an athletic sporting goods provider of performance enhancing training products, where he currently serves as the CEO.
Today we talked about:
- growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah
- being overlooked and always needing to do extra
- his curiosity about the body & supplements
- early & constant challenges on his basketball journey
- how he prepared himself for the retirement process
- stepping into the deep end of the medical device industry
- how selling to doctors leveled up his salesmanship
- educating himself on the venture capital world
- what it was like to be on Shark Tank
- lessons learned from selling his first company
- all about the POWERHANDZ mission
- and much more!
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
Episode 478: Free Game... 8 People You Should Follow
I just finished recording a podcast episode with the 135th guest that I've had the privilege to interview on Sports Business Secrets. As I was adding the name to the "Guest List," I took a moment to pinch myself. What an absolutely EPIC group of decision makers and power shakers in the sports business industry.
The amount of wisdom shared by these guests in their respective roles is invaluable! Not to mention, it's all FREE GAME!
My goal today is to share some episodes that you should listen to if you are an aspiring professional basketball player. Of course, once I started making this list, I realized I could include just about every single guest episode... So I will filter it down even further.
These episodes include guests that specifically talk about the path to becoming a pro, including topics like:
- the characteristics found in highly rated prospects
- the pros & cons of going down the prep school pathway
- where to find an agent and important topics to discuss before signing
- the differences between leagues and salaries abroad
- what it was like to play in new countries for the first time
- what to do when battling injuries and other challenges abroad
- transitioning from basketball career to "the real world"
Episode 477: Aaron Johnson, CEO & Founder of Ball Beyond
Today’s guest is Aaron Johnson, CEO & Founder of Ball Beyond! Aaron played collegiately at Penn State University, although the beginning of that chapter was very different than the ending! He originally joined the team as a walk-on, but quickly proved why he was a scholarship player. By his junior year he was leading the Big Ten in rebounding and started catching the attention of scouts and agents.
Fast forward nearly a decade later and he had left his mark on the professional level in several countries abroad including Russia, Latvia, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Croatia, Holland, Greece, and Cyprus.
After retiring, he jumped right into the deep end of entrepreneurship by starting his own businesses, and today we get to hear all about them!
Today we talked about:
- being overlooked in high school and prep school
- betting on himself as a walk-on in college
- his personality and reputation off the court
- the mindset shift when he got his first contract
- injuries that he had to battle through
- the difficult process of hanging up the shoes
- what he learned from delivering packages for UPS
- where he came up with the name for Ball Beyond
- some player development tips he teaches
- his thoughts on NIL & how he's helping athletes
- and much more
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
Episode 476: LFG or GTFO!
Want to be more efficient with your time?
Want to save lots of energy?
Search for LFG energy. Nothing less.
Have yourself a day!!!
www.kevintarca.com
youtube.com/@KevinTarca
kreationtalent.thinkific.com/courses/agent
Episode 475: Vanja Cernivec, GM of the London Lions (WBBL)
Today’s guest is Vanja Cernivec, the General Manager of the London Lions (WBBL)!
Vanja is originally from Slovenia, but has extended her presence all over the world making a major impact in the basketball space. Her eye for talent and passion for teaching the youth started when she was coaching in NBA schools in India and China and continued when she started managing Boki Nachbar's basketball camps. Shortly after she made the jump to the operations side of the NBA, which eventually led to a scouting role with the Chicago Bulls.
Last summer she made the transition to the General Manager role in London, and today we get to hear all about it!
Today we talked about:
- growing up in Slovenia and her basketball aspirations
- what she wanted to be when she grew up
- her experience playing and studying in the USA
- the transition from playing to "the real world"
- her role as a Euroleague Basketball Delegate
- her various global stops working with the NBA
- soul searching during a big decision making process
- her historic role in the Chicago Bulls organization
- the transition to become a General Manager
- all about the London Lions organization
- and much more
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
https://youtube.com/@KevinTarca
Episode 474: Three Lessons That Translate from Sports to Business
Athletes are often equipped with the skill set, character, and drive to be extremely successful in the business world. But for some reason many athletes don't realize that until much later than they should.
Here are three lessons that I learned in my sports life that translate identically into the business world.
https://www.kevintarca.com
https://www.kreationtalent.com
https://youtube.com/@KevinTarca
Episode 473: A Few Networking Secrets
Strong relationships are built over time. You can't speed up the process. And there is no magic formula that builds your network overnight.
I can’t give away all the secrets from David Nurse’s 1% Daily Growth Group… but today I share a few takeaways that completely shifted my perspective on building relationships!
Episode 472: A Spring Full of WINS
Hello June. We're back with some KTA updates, client wins and a summary of what this month looks like!
Episode 471: Bronislaw Wawrzynczuk, Sports Director for Prometey
Today’s guest is Bronislaw Wawrzynczuk, the new Sports Director for Eurocup team Prometey!
Bronek and I met in early 2017 while attending the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia. At the time we were both trying to navigate our way through this crazy business.Since then, Bronek founded his own scouting service, has been hired by several different high level clubs and is currently on his way to lead his first club as the Sports Director!Today we talked about:
- growing up in Poland
- when he realized scouting was a passion
- how he got his first opportunity
- the decision to start Eurospects
- what he looks for in youth prospects
- his responsibilities at Ratiopharm Ulm
- making the jump to Fenerbahçe
- which leagues he watches closest
- the new job at Prometey
- advice for anyone getting into the business
- and much more
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
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Read more and check out additional guests episodes below:
Episode 470: Tom Moore, UConn MBB Assistant Coach
Today’s guest is Tom Moore, Men's Basketball Assistant Coach at the University of Connecticut.
For those who are unaware, Coach Moore was my Head Coach at Quinnipiac University from 2008-2012. He gave me the opportunity to walk-on to the team when I arrived as a freshman, which led to four of the best years of my life, and for that I'll be forever grateful.
Coach Moore has nearly 30 years of college basketball coaching experience, starting with Division III Worcester State and Division II Assumption College before jumping to the University of Connecticut for the first time in 1994. After two national championships at UConn, he took over as Head Coach at Quinnipiac University in 2007. He made a stop at URI with Dan Hurley in 2017 before returning to UConn the following season.
Most recently he's coming off his 3rd National Championship, all of which he obtained as a Husky.
Today we talked about:
- studying journalism before ever thinking about coaching
- how he got his first opportunity as a coach
- what it was like to work under HOF Coach Jim Calhoun
- the NBA players he coached & what made them great
- some coaching philosophies from Quinnipiac
- highs and lows of the coaching journey
- returning to UConn & the goal from day one
- relationships with players & recruiting criteria
- and much more
Appreciate you tuning in. Hope you enjoy!
Episode 469: College Basketball Recruiting & Navigating the Portal
The past few weeks have been packed with more phone calls than expected from college coaches who are looking to finalize their rosters. Today I share some takeaways from those discussions that I hope will help you navigate these crazy waters.
Here are a few topics:
- where college coaches are looking for players
- some questions they will ask about players
- some red & green flags based on those answers
- how this information can help you
Episode 468: Exactly What I'm Doing May 18, 2023
Happy Thursday! Here's what's on the agenda the next few days...
Episode 467: Jason Clement, Founding Partner & CEO of The Sports Facilities Companies
Today’s guest is Jason Clement, Founding Partner & CEO of The Sports Facilities Companies, the largest single network of tournament and community-based sports facilities in the United States!
Jason began his career in sports architecture, then transitioned into commercial development and corporate real estate management. He has founded, supported, and lead the growth of multiple organizations as board chair, including Habitat for Humanity, Man Up and Go, and Calvary Christian High School.
Today we