My son is 16 and plays AAU basketball. An agent recently approached us after a tournament game. He introduced himself and asked to stay in touch. He’s also friends with my son’s coach, who recommended that we get to know the agent. Is this normal at this age? What is appropriate versus inappropriate under these circumstances? It is nice and even flattering that an agent would show interest like this, but i'm just not sure how relevent this all is right now before we even know if colleges are interested in my son.&#x20;

What questions should we be asking to properly vet an agent, and are there any red flags we should be watching for early on?

What teams need a rb/rw? What are other teams currently looking for in new players? By knowing this information, I’d be better equipped when negotiating because now I know how important this type of player is to them.&#x20;

What are the specifics needs for teams around the league? 

I want to know in the league I’m competing in when speaking to my agent what my competition in my position is currently making. I want to know how I rank up against these other players’ numbers so I can get a fair deal and it’s not just he said, she said.&#x20;

What is the average salary for a starting right back?

I’m a player in the USL- MLS and I want to know how many years guaranteed contracts are getting now.  When I first came into the league you’d be lucky to get a 1+1. Now it seems as though players are getting guaranteed 3 year contracts. How often is that happening?&#x20;

 Around the league, how many years are guys getting guaranteed on their new contract? 

I’ve been offered a marketing advance by an NIL agent, but he says I don’t really need to pay it back, even if I don’t generate that money for him in deals. Is that even normal practice or cool under NCAA rules?

Are advanced NIL payments from agents standard practice?

My son has been part of an MLS academy since he was 14 years old and his dream is to play in europe one day. The MLS academy director told us that they won't be giving him a homegrown deal but they want him to sign with their next pro team on a standard pro deal. There's a USL team that's been scouting him since generation adidas cup and they've asked us if my son would trial. If the trial were to go well and he signs in USL, is there any impact on returning to the first team of his MLS academy? There's a lot in the news about MLS v USL so this though crossed my mind.&#x20;

If player leaves MLS academy to sign a USL contract, does that hurt their chances of being signed by an MLS team later? 

youth basketball for young players in the united states

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