Hidden Gems: Meet Kevin Martin of JCK Sports Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Martin.  

Hi Kevin, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Kevin Martin, and I’m a proud husband and father of four amazing girls. A true *girl dad at the core. I was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Milwaukee, WI. Where I attended college in the UW system and played college basketball while studying Journalism and Advertising with a minor in marketing. Shortly after completion of my undergraduate studies, I embarked on a career in Marketing and Business Management with Time Warner Inc. 

During my tenure in corporate America with Time Warner Inc., a fortune 500 company, I never relinquished my calling to help others in my community climb to the next level. There has always been a passion to pass on my resources and knowledge of basketball and business to the upcoming generation. Whether it was mentoring, volunteering my time, or coaching an AAU program, I felt compelled to assist those from my community to aspire to allow this game to grow them beyond their 20-30 block radius. The game of basketball offered me a bigger world to see and become a part of. I wanted the same for disadvantaged boys and girls in my community. 

It was in the corporate space that I learned very strong lessons in best business practices that would translate into the world and industry I’m a part of today. I learned how to effectively communicate, forecast accurate, set the right expectations, close business, network, and leverage relationships that would ultimately create a win/win strategy and develop me as a successful leader and businessman. 

I would also like to mention that having positive and successful mentors along the way would help me achieve my success then and now. I still have an industry mentor in my good friend and relative- Jamie Knox, who’s responsible for so much of my growth and success as an Entrepreneur and Basketball Agent. A supporting wife and small circle of friends and family I could trust that encouraged me was a blessing as well. My better half Natalie Martin has been very instrumental in my road to success. She was supportive, insightful and challenged me to grow my business and never settle. None of this would have been possible without her and Jamie Knox pushing me to developing a successful business as a Sports Agent. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Tons of obstacles were presented to me in the industry of sports management and representation, and some are still in existence today. Race, class, financial status, and nepotism all seem to bring various obstacles in my line of work. 

Upon inception into the industry, most agents did not come from communities like mine or look like me. However, the players we represent do come from similar backgrounds and look, sound, or dress like me. That said, it was never an issue of black and white for me, but for others, it was. 

There was and still is a system in place that puts African American agents at a disadvantage when targeting higher-level talent at power 5 universities. However, I don’t let that stop me from trying and giving my best efforts. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
JCK Sports Group was created and founded by my business partner and mentor Jamie Knox. Jamie and I both worked for other agencies prior to launching JCK Sports Group. Jamie is also an alum of NC State and played for the late & great Coach Jimmy Valvano amongst other great coaches on that staff. We specialize in operating as a full-service global agency with multiple satellite offices around the world. We manage and represent athletes on and off the court, domestically and internationally. We negotiate playing agreements/contracts as well as marketing and brand endorsements and entertainment agreements. We also specialize in post-career planning. The thing that sets us apart from other agencies is that we are one of the only agencies that is black-owned and operated with no financial backing from stakeholders. This is all created out of our own hands and sweat equity. We have literally built this agency from the ground up and have delivered many success stories for our clients and their respective families. I am proud that we aren’t doing what we are doing just for the money or commissions. I am most proud not of the draft picks we have assisted or NBA careers we have launched but mostly proud that We are enabling others to maintain successful lives and careers that earn our clients a quality of life even after playing. We offer the success and opportunities of a big agency with the feeling of a family. 

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Absolutely, during Covid, our businesses were impacted largely, especially to clients playing internationally. The recruiting class we signed coming into Covid took the biggest impact of it all in my opinion. Opportunities were very limited; salaries were slashed in half, and the protocols were overwhelming. 

We are still bouncing back. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jcksportsgroup.net
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jcksg?igshid=MTIyMzRjYmRlZg==
• Linkedin: JCK Sports Group
• Twitter: @JCKSportsnews