Don’t Let an Injury Ruin Their Financial Future
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Release Date: 01/21/2026
Don’t Let an Injury Ruin Their Financial Future
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Most baseball families think “insurance” only becomes relevant after a player signs a pro contract — but the truth is, disability insurance is already shaping decisions in high school recruiting, NIL negotiations, and college roster building. In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford sits down with David Brookbank, co-founder of Income Protection Consultants (IPC), one of the most trusted independent voices in the disability insurance space for elite athletes. David has spent 30+ years inside disability policy structure, claims, and underwriting — and he’s...
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Why Most Pro Athletes Go Broke - Avoid This Wealth Management Mistake
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Most families enter youth and travel baseball thinking the goal is exposure, scholarships, or “getting paid” someday — but the financial reality of the game starts long before a player signs a pro contract. And when money finally shows up (NIL, draft bonuses, big-league paychecks), it often hits fast, loud, and overwhelming. In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, Matt sits down with Kyle Ourso, a wealth advisor who’s spent nearly two decades inside pro baseball — first helping MLB players behind the scenes at Marucci, and now guiding athletes and sudden-net-worth clients through...
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The Biggest Gamble of Austin Riley’s Career.
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Most parents want the roadmap — the blueprint that turns a young athlete into a confident, motivated, successful player. But very few families truly understand what the journey demands emotionally, mentally, relationally, and financially. In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, Matt sits down with MLB All-Star Austin Riley and his parents, Mike and Elisa Riley, for an unfiltered, start-to-finish conversation about development, failure, trust, and perspective — from youth baseball to the World Series and beyond. Mike and Elisa explain why they always measured progress over promotions,...
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Stop Being the Fixer - How to Truly Empower Your Son’s Baseball Career
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Most dads step into their son’s baseball journey believing they need to fix, protect, analyze, and carry the weight of every result. It comes from love — but it often creates the exact pressure, resentment, and distance they’re trying to avoid. In this solo episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford reframes one of the most misunderstood roles in youth baseball: the role of the father. Your son doesn’t need you to be the hero of his story. He needs you to be the guide. Matt breaks down why trying to “save” your son from failure actually limits his growth, how...
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What I See as a College Softball Coach and the Dad of the #1 Prospect in Baseball
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Most parents want the roadmap — the blueprint that turns a young athlete into a confident, motivated, successful player. But very few people have lived all sides of the journey. In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, Matt sits down with someone who has: Kevin Griffin — • Head Softball Coach at Belhaven University • Associate Athletic Director • Former college & semipro baseball player • And father of MLB’s top minor league prospect, Connor Griffin Kevin brings a rare perspective: parent, coach, recruiter, evaluator, and someone who has navigated the pressure,...
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The Truth About Baseball Development (According To MLB Scouts)
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Most travel ball parents focus on the wrong things — more reps, more tournaments, more lessons, more mechanics, more “fixes.” But in this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford brings together two of baseball’s most respected insiders to reveal what actually develops a player: • Hugh Quattlebaum — former MLB hitting coach, coordinator, and father of three boys in the youth baseball world • Gus Quattlebaum — Vice President of Scouting Development & Integration for the Boston Red Sox Together, they break down the essential (and often misunderstood)...
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3 Steps To Fix the Parent-Player Relationship In Youth Baseball
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Every parent watching their son strike out in the bottom of the ninth has felt that surge of frustration — not because of the strikeout itself, but because of the unspoken expectations they carry. Expectations about effort. About performance. About gratitude. About results. But here’s the problem: most parents never say these expectations out loud — and because of that, players don’t know the rules, don’t know the standards, and don’t know how to win. The result? Disappointment for parents, defensiveness for players, and a breakdown in trust that lasts far beyond a single...
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Choosing The RIGHT Travel Baseball Team - What You Need To Consider
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Every travel team promises “elite competition,” “national exposure,” and “top-tier development.” But when you're the parent making decisions, the real questions are much simpler — and far more important: What actually serves my son’s long-term future? What protects our family’s time, budget, and sanity? In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford breaks down the four essential questions every baseball parent must ask before choosing a travel team. You’ll learn how to evaluate a program’s philosophy, how to separate hype from real development, how...
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What Players REALLY Keep: The Shocking Truth About MLB Taxes & NIL Money
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Most baseball parents think only about signing bonuses, NIL money, and the path to the pros — but this episode of The Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford pulls you inside the real tax strategy, financial planning, and hidden money traps that shape a player’s baseball career long before the big leagues. Former pro player and CPA Steven CASERES breaks down the real financial side of baseball development — from how players are actually paid in the minor leagues, to why state taxes can quietly take six figures out of a signing bonus, to the truth about NIL money and whether young...
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MLB GM Secrets: The Part They Don’t Share with Fans
Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford
Most parents only see the rankings, the showcase stats, and the hype — but this episode of The Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford pulls you inside the real world of MLB draft strategy, where decisions are made long before a player ever hears their name called. Former Minnesota Twins GM Thad Levine reveals what truly drives baseball scouting insights today, from how MLB teams evaluate players beyond raw tools to why character, adaptability, and leadership quietly determine careers. You’ll hear how clubs weigh high school vs. college talent, why certain pitchers carry heavy risk...
info_outlineMost baseball families think “insurance” only becomes relevant after a player signs a pro contract — but the truth is, disability insurance is already shaping decisions in high school recruiting, NIL negotiations, and college roster building.
In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford sits down with David Brookbank, co-founder of Income Protection Consultants (IPC), one of the most trusted independent voices in the disability insurance space for elite athletes. David has spent 30+ years inside disability policy structure, claims, and underwriting — and he’s also deeply plugged into sports law and the business side of college athletics through Arizona State’s sports law ecosystem.
Together, they break down what disability insurance actually is (and what it isn’t), why “loss of value” is the most misunderstood term in amateur baseball, and how families can avoid the biggest mistake: listening only to the person selling the policy.
You’ll learn the real layers of coverage (Permanent Total Disability, Critical Injury, Temporary Total Disability), how policy language can completely change whether a claim gets paid, why illness claims can be bigger than injury claims, and how universities are now using disability policies as a tool to attract and retain draft-level talent.
If you’re a parent, player, or coach trying to understand what happens if he gets hurt — and how to protect a future before the draft/NIL money shows up — this episode gives you the roadmap.
Subscribe for weekly insight on player development, recruiting, and the business of baseball — with the truth families rarely hear early enough.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
• What disability insurance is in sports — and why it exists
• The 3 core layers of coverage: PTD vs Critical Injury vs Temporary Total Disability
• Why most policies cover athletes 24/7, not just during games
• The biggest misconception: why writers and families wrongly call everything “loss of value”
• How Tommy John/UCL coverage varies dramatically based on policy wording
• Why “required within 30 days” vs “performed within 30 days” can decide a claim
• Hidden fine print that can void a payout (ex: % of season missed requirements)
• The real claim rates David sees across hundreds of athletes each year
• How universities handle insurance options (and why they can’t “direct” one policy)
• Why disability insurance is becoming part of NIL and revenue-share negotiations
• How high school draft prospects use disability coverage as a college decision lever
• What premiums can look like for pitchers — and why pitchers are the most expensive to insure
• Why policy honesty matters: applications, medical records, and avoiding claim denial
ABOUT DAVID
David Brookbank is the co-founder of Income Protection Consultants (IPC), a specialty consulting firm that analyzes and advises on disability insurance policies for elite athletes across high school, college, and professional sports. David began his career in disability insurance over three decades ago and now focuses on independent policy review, education, underwriting guidance, and claims navigation — without selling the policies himself. He holds a master’s in legal studies with a concentration in sports law and contract law and is deeply connected to the sports business ecosystem through Arizona State.
ABOUT MATT HANNAFORD
Matt Hannaford is a 25-year MLB agent and founder of Aligned Sports. He has negotiated historic contracts, represented MVPs and All-Stars, and now delivers weekly insight on player development, recruiting, and the business of baseball through The Most Valuable Agent podcast.
CONNECT WITH MATT
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mfhannaford/
Website: https://www.aligndsports.com/
YouTube (subscribe for weekly insight): https://www.youtube.com/@mostvaluableagent
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