Tonbara Sports & Entertainment Launches Tonbara Pathway, an Independent Advisory Service for Families of Young Athletes

Fee-for-service model gives families neutral guidance at the career stage the industry has never built for

TORONTO (October 6, 2026): Tonbara Sports & Entertainment today announced the launch of Tonbara Pathway, an advisory service for families of athletes aged roughly 14 to 18.

Families make some of the most important decisions in an athlete's career during these years: which sport, which program, which country, and which first offer to accept. Agencies usually don't get involved until there's a contract to earn a commission on. That leaves families relying on coaches, clubs, and programs, each with their own interest in the outcome.

Pathway is built to fill that gap. Families pay a fee for advice. Pathway takes no commission and does not recruit. It is also not a route into representation with Tonbara, and that separation is set out in writing at the start of every engagement.

Pathway helps families with:

• choosing between programs, schools, and countries

• weighing offers, including what early money costs over the long term

• understanding contract terms, and knowing when to bring in a lawyer

• getting a second opinion on advice from coaches, clubs, and recruiters

"The most consequential decisions in an athlete's career are made before anybody is willing to represent them," said Patrik Darabont, Founder and Principal of Tonbara Sports & Entertainment. "There's no commission in a fourteen-year-old, so nobody is built for that stage. Pathway is the version where someone in the room works only for the family. If the right answer is another agency, staying put, or stepping away, that advice costs the same."

Pathway is available to families across Canada and the United States. Initial consultations are open now.

About Tonbara Sports & Entertainment
Tonbara Sports & Entertainment is a licensed, full-service athlete and influencer agency with offices in Toronto, Miami, and New York. It represents athletes and creators across basketball, hockey, soccer, track and field, football, Olympic sports, and more.

Media contact: hello@tonbarasports.com · tonbarasports.com