“Try to have a vision of the world you would like to see, and push towards that,” stated sports agent Leigh Steinberg in an exclusive interview with Atlanta Youth Press on October 10th, 2024. Steinberg has been a sports agent for over 50 years, working to not only represent athletes, but also spread positive messages on resilience in the face of adversity. He firmly believes that sports is a platform for changing the world positively. 

Steinberg was born on March 27, 1949 in Los Angeles, California. Having parents who were educators, he was expected to excel academically from a young age. Growing up, he was fascinated by sports and academics, attending Alexander Hamilton High School. In high school, he played both basketball and football, but was not a standout athlete. However, despite this, he was more fascinated by the game itself than his athletic abilities and performance.

Growing up in Los Angeles, California, he was exposed to a very sports-centric environment. He was also exposed to many different cultures and backgrounds, which helped him gain a broad perspective on life. During his childhood, he acquired cultural awareness and acceptance, important factors in being a sports agent. With regard to this, he stated, “Hone your listening skills. Put yourself in the other person’s heart and mind and see the world the way they see it.” The principle of trying to understand others is empathy, and it helps to improve active listening skills and unity. Empathy is key to accepting diversity and learning about other cultures. As Steinberg put it, “If you can understand someone else’s deepest anxieties and fears and greatest hopes and dreams…you can work your way through the world gracefully.”

While working as a dorm counselor at the University of California in 1975, Steinberg became friends with Steve Bartkowski, the NFL draft’s number one draft pick. Bartkowski was unhappy with his agent's progress in negotiating a deal with the Atlanta Falcons, so he asked Steinberg to represent him. Following his success with Bartkowski, Steinberg started a sports agency with Jeff Moorad called, "Steinberg, Moorad & Dunn", or "SMD". They sold that firm in October, 1999 to Assante Sports Management Group.

On October 10th, 2024, Steinberg was present in Davenport, Iowa to give a TEDx Talk at TEDx Davenport on “The Power of Resilience”. In his TEDx Talk, Steinberg shared how he faced challenges throughout his life and how resilience helped him to not give up, but instead push through. 

When Steinberg was asked about his advice for youth, Steinberg stated, “You’ll inherit this world, and you can make it better and change it.”

He continued, “Do an internal inventory of what you think is most important to you. Is it values like short-term economic gain or long term economic security? Or is it spiritual values or family or making a difference? Then find a way to distinguish yourself from every other person competing with you.” He said that following your passion and what is most important to you will help guide your journey. Once you find that one thing that you are enthusiastic about, you should find ways to make yourself stand out in that field.  

How can you distinguish yourself in your field? “Be a little more creative when doing a resume or doing an interview, so that people will remember you,” stated Steinberg. 

Lastly, Steinberg believes it is important to help others. He advises those around him to find ways to make a difference in the community. In his TEDx Talk conclusion, Steinberg’s call to action was to “Make a meaningful difference in the world and help people who can’t help themselves.”