Athletes Win a Lot From Their Charity Ties

To the Editor:

The outstanding efforts of Andre Agassi show that the opportunities of life sometimes provide great advantages and a power to do good (“Lobbing Millions to Charity,” April 29). Athletes, endowed with celebrity, access, financial resources, and a competitive spirit are well suited to do something positive for causes they care about. They can create a great immediate impact on the cause being supported.

Athletes involved in philanthropy will have an opportunity to discover other facets of their personality, to explore their passions, to be appreciated, and to appreciate themselves away from the game.

As noted, there have been cases of well-intentioned charitable pursuits gone bad, with subsequent bad publicity to the athlete and, more important, lost opportunities for the support of good causes. However, those examples should not cause sports agents to discourage their clients from becoming involved. Positive philanthropy enhances the marketability and image of the athlete. Just as athletes benefit from services that assist them in negotiating their playing and endorsement contracts to assure that they are financially well taken care of when their playing days are done, they will benefit from professional, strategic, and management advice in realizing their long-term philanthropic goals.

Tom Walsh
Partner
Envision Partnership
Washington