Elmhurst Attorney and Sports Agent Debuts New Book to Help Athletes and Families Make Better Sports Decisions

Elmhurst resident Mario Iveljic has released a new book—Make the Smart Move: The Playbook for Better Sports Decisions—aimed at helping athletes and their families make more informed decisions in today’s increasingly complex sports landscape.

The timing is notable given the scale of youth sports participation in the U.S. Nearly 30 million children aged 6–17 participate in organized sports, and families are increasingly facing high-stakes decisions earlier than ever—especially around development pathways, recruiting, NIL opportunities, and long-term athletic planning.

Drawing on his experience as an attorney, sports agent, parent, and former Division I athlete, Iveljic introduces what he describes as a “structured, repeatable system” for navigating key decisions at every stage of an athletic career—from youth sports through the professional level.

“The sports world today is noisy. Between the pressure of elite travel teams, social media hype, and the complexity of NIL and agents, it's easy for athletes and their families to get pulled off track,” says Iveljic. “Most career setbacks don’t happen because of lack of talent—they happen because of poor decisions made with the wrong information.”

The book focuses on practical decision-making rather than chasing prestige or short-term visibility. Among its central themes are the importance of consistent playing time, choosing teams based on fit rather than reputation, and understanding the limited role social media plays in long-term development.

Iveljic also addresses the growing influence of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities and sports agents, topics he says are often misunderstood by families navigating competitive athletics.

While many examples in the book come from soccer and baseball—two sports Iveljic has spent thousands of hours around as a player, parent, advisor, and agent—he emphasizes that the lessons apply broadly across any athletic discipline.

A former standout at Yale University, Iveljic earned a degree in economics while serving as a three-year starter on the school’s varsity soccer team. He later obtained his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law and continued playing soccer at a semi-professional level.

Today, as the founder of Mag Mile Sport and Mag Mile Law, Iveljic has parlayed his lifelong passion for sport into a career as a licensed soccer agent and sports intermediary, registered with the U.S. Soccer Federation, the England Football Association, and FIFA. In this role, he represents professional soccer players on and off the field—advising on contracts, negotiations, endorsements, and career strategy. Among his more than 20 clients are Chicago Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady and rising women’s soccer talent Tati Fung.

Iveljic said the book is not intended to promise a path to professional sports, noting that only a small percentage of athletes reach that level. Instead, it aims to provide clarity and guidance so families can make better decisions regardless of the outcome.

Make the Smart Move : The Playbook for Better Sports Decisions is available for purchase through Amazon in paperback format ($24.99) and Kindle ($9.99).

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