Kicks Inc.: Confidential Information for Adriana Martinez (Mother)

Abstract

Kicks Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of athletic apparel and shoes, had plans to launch a new tennis shoe line within the year and was seeking an up-and-coming young athlete to be its spokesperson. Sebastian Martinez had emerged as an ideal candidate, and contract discussions were underway. Six issues need to be resolved to the satisfaction of the six parties involved—the athlete, the athlete's mother, the athlete's father, the athlete's agent, the Kicks brand manager, and an International Tennis Federation representative. This case provides specific role information for the athlete's mother. The case needs to be accompanied by the background information case, UVA-QA-0739. Excerpt UVA-QA-0740 Rev. Dec. 2, 2010 Confidential Information for Adriana Martinez (Mother) Adriana Martinez had always been very involved in her son's tennis career. She was present at every match throughout his junior career and essentially put her life on hold to support her son in anything and everything. Adriana was born in southern Florida in a well-to-do family. When she was young, she learned to play tennis at a local club and fell in love with the sport. She enjoyed the individualistic nature of tennis, but also thrived in competition. Although she had dreamed of the grass courts of Wimbledon, she wasn't talented enough to reach that dream. She played tennis for a small college near her hometown but was more focused on her passion for archaeology. During her senior year in college, an archaeology program took her to Argentina, where she met Luis Martinez, who also had a love for tennis. After she and Luis married a couple of years later, she moved permanently to Argentina, and together the couple had Sebastian. When Sebastian was only five, Luis and Adriana first enrolled him in tennis lessons. Even for such a young boy, he appeared to have a natural ability, great eye–hand coordination, and an aggressive nature on the court. When he turned seven, Adriana and Luis signed him up for his first tournaments; they were pleased to see he was not only doing well but also really enjoying it. Adriana was delighted and hoped he would continue to thrive in the sport as he grew older. Adriana was predominately responsible for keeping Sebastian's junior tennis on track. She signed him up for all his tournaments, drove him to clinics, set up match play, and even strung his rackets. Luis provided the income necessary to support Sebastian's tennis, but Adriana facilitated and organized everything to keep Sebastian happy on and off the court. She postponed her archaeology career and homeschooled Sebastian so he had flexible hours for morning and afternoon practices and was able to travel on the weekends. Because of all the time they spent together, she and her son became very close. Some of her friends thought she and her husband were too involved in their son's tennis and thought they had pushed him too hard, but Adriana felt lucky that she was so close with her son and that he confided in her. She had always said that so long as he loved playing, she would continue to support him in every way possible. . . .