With fans everywhere screaming Andy’s name, jet-setting tournaments sprinkled across the globe, and flights to catch, it’s hard to notice the people behind the scenes who keep the show, and the athlete, running smoothly. But in an office in Miami, members of SFX Tennis Division know all too well just how much work goes into making sure that clients are happy, well-fed, and arriving on-time.

Who are these people who make it happen? They go by many names, (like Ken, Graham, and Scot), and they wear many hats, but they are the key components in securing the day to day life of their clients, and making the overall picture of each client as efficient, and as pleasurable, as possible.

So what’s it like to deal day in and day out with top-notch celebrity athletes?

And, more importantly, what’s it like to help manage Andy?

Scot Hirschfield knows.

He’s the assistant to Ken Meyerson, the President, and Graham, in-house counsel, of SFX Tennis Division, Andy’s sports agent. Scot was born and raised in Long Island, New York. He graduated from Baldwin High School, and then Cornell University, with a degree in Applied Economics and Management. He’s been playing tennis for years, and had the opportunity to meet and play with Andy long before he won the U.S. Open.

You may remember ar.com’s earlier interview with Ken (and if you don’t, look it up in the news archives!). Scot helps the SFX team in Miami make sure things happen the right way. He follows through with players’ activities and commitments, and if something goes wrong- he helps fix it.

So how lucky is Scot to have the kind of job he has? Pretty darn lucky.

Scot explains to me that the SFX Tennis division falls under SFX Entertainment, which is an auspice of ClearChannel. SFX Entertainment, he says, “is the premier live entertainment producer in the world. The SFX Sports Group, broken up into smaller divisions separated by sport, manages some of the best athletes in the world including Agassi, Roddick, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Jerry Rice, Tracy McGrady, Bode Miller and Michael Owen, Brandi Chastain and so many others.”

But what, exactly, does Scot spend his day doing? One might imagine days filled with star-gazing at, well, star-athletes, but unfortunately, or rather fortunately for clients and fans, this isn’t the case.

Scot spends the bulk of his time coordinating clients’ flights, hotels, transportation, and other obligations, like on-court and off-court client schedules, and ensuring that every clients day runs smoothly, down to the T. He also must aid SFX in maintaining constant communication with clients and their families. And to top it all off, he’s always available to help Ken. That may sound like a lot of fun, but with over 40 clients and offices in Miami, DC, New York, and North Carolina, plus year-round tournaments that occur all over the world, Scot’s job is full of some big responsibilities that keep him on his toes.

On a typical, low key day, Scot spends a few hours with Ken doing memos, emails, and conference calls. He spends about an hour helping the ar.com staff. And if there’s a tournament in town, Scot will go and watch the clients, or he’ll go out scouting and recruiting.

“One thing I can say is that no two days are the same. Ever day brings new challenges and objectives.”

“Also, every day working with Ken Meyerson is exciting. He is one of the best in the world at what he does, so I literally am learning from the best, and I am grateful every day for this opportunity.”

For Scot, the most exciting part of his job is the events he gets to attend.

“Watching Andy win the US Open and the subsequent celebration was by far the most exciting time. It’s exciting being around Andy, and our other clients when they win big matches and tournaments.”

What else has Scot done that’s managed to carve itself into his memory, and leave him with some excellent, when-I-was-young stories?

“It was exciting watching Andy rehearse for SNL while training for the Masters Cup. For me personally, it was really a neat experience to watch Saturday Night live come together right in front of my eyes, and then see the final product from the audience.”

Scot has had the incredible opportunity to not just meet and work with athletes in his division, but also other celebrities like Dave Matthews, Boyd Tinsley, Trey Anastasio, Jimmy Fallon, Lorne Michaels, Dan Akroyd, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Anna Kournikova, Jeff Conine, and Matthew Perry.

Scot answered some ar.com questions for us about his job with SFX and what it’s like working with Andy:

What career-goals do you have for your future?

“Short-term, I want to continue having a life where I enjoy going to work, and also enjoy coming home. I also want to help continue building up the SFX Tennis Division as long and as far as I/we can. Eventually, I would like to eventually own and operate a big time sporting facility/academy from the ground up.”

What has your position taught you about work, tennis, and sports?

“My position has reinforced to me how wonderful and impactful the sport of tennis is, and also how interesting and unique the tennis community is. My sister says that the tennis community is like a town where everybody sits on their porch and says hi to everyone as they go by. It’s totally true. I have the opportunity to work with people who I have known since I was 10 years old, and when I meet new people, there is an instant bond because of the mutual involvement and passion for the game.

“In addition, on a bigger level, I have gotten to know several professional athletes, and the one thing that sticks out is that their lives are very similar to ours. They deal with the same emotions, and have many of the same values. The best thing is witnessing the positive effect professional athlete’s have on other people, especially children. This is probably my favorite part of working for athletes, and Andy specifically.”

You grew up with Andy and trained some with him, right?

“I didn’t grow up with Andy, but we sure knew each other well. I don’t remember when we first met, but his Mom and my Dad do. It was at Rick Macci’s Tennis Academy, which at the time was in Delray Beach, Florida. I often went to Macci’s on school vacations, and my Dad and I always got along great with Andy and Blanche. We always used to see each other at the National tournaments that had multiple age groups competing. Tournaments such as the Fiesta Bowl, Easter Bowl, Texas Open, etc. I am two years older so I was bigger and at a more advanced level, if you could believe that. We were both pretty much the best for our respective ages, so there was a subtle respect for each other that has really been a constant in our long friendship.

“One day, I think when I was 14 and Andy was 12, Blanche invited me over to hit with John, Andy’s older brother. John was a legend of US Junior Tennis. He was so awesome, with great groundstrokes and a FIERCE competitor. At the time he was a Freshman at the University of Georgia, and it was like the coolest thing to train with him. He beat me 6-1,6-1, but it was the most fun I had getting my butt kicked. After John and I played, Blanche asked me if I would return the favor and do some drills with Andy and his Coach, Mo. I obliged. We also teamed up a few times to kick some older guys butts in doubles.”

What was that like?

“At the time, it didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary. Although, it was pretty clear that Andy was a great tennis player who had this insane energy, and passion for the game. That is something that is truly unique to him, and it probably is the biggest reason (maybe besides his serve) that he has had such amazing, unprecedented success at the highest of levels at such a young age.”

When did you know Andy might be more than just a really good tennis player?

“I remember watching an Easter Bowl highlight show on TV one year, and they showed highlights of Andy beating Alex Bogomolov in the finals. That’s when I thought he might actually make it. However, it was when Andy won the Sunshine Cup and Orange Bowl in consecutive weeks, and then went on to win the Australian Open Juniors that I knew he was very, very special, and probably on his way to the top. I remember when I first started interning at SFX (shortly after this) one of my friends asked me what the name was of that kid who was supposed to be pretty good. I told him it’s Andy Roddick, and that is the last time you will have to ask me that question. Two months later Andy beat Sampras at the NASDAQ, and it’s been a fun ride ever since.”

What do you recommend to kids and athletes who would like to find themselves in your shoes?

“Knowing someone like Andy…haha. It’s a tough industry to get into. You really need an “in” - best thing to do is keep in contact with people involved with sports, whether players, coaches, parents, etc. Networking is the fancy term.”