The Reality of Parenting in the Age of NIL – Part 2
As parents, you may think your kid is the next Tom Brady, Trevon Henderson, Katie Ledecky, or Scottie Scheffler. The reality is your child as a .0296% chance of becoming a professional athlete but a 100% chance of needing life and mental skills to face reality. For reference, NFL rosters comprise only 1696 individuals. Only 12 schools in Division 1 serve 250 athletes for men’s gymnastics. Keep this in mind when you set goals for your child.
Sport, I believe, is one of the best environments to learn life and mental skills. With the addition of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), we parents can now use this to assist our child to learn other valuable skills in navigating this next level and beyond.
Understanding NIL Basics
What is NIL? Name, Image, and Likeness is the right to profit from your own name, image, and likeness. It is available to all NCAA athletes regardless of sport or division.
Key stakeholders include the athlete and their families. They are the decision-makers and beneficiaries to the NIL deals. The coaches and athletic staff support or provide guidelines in these deals. Collegiate NIL Collectives are third-party organizations that broker the deals. National brands and local businesses are the potential partners for endorsement deals.
Primary considerations include dealing with school compliance. Following the university, conference, and state rules are paramount. Contracts and taxes need legal review with a knowledgeable financial planner.
Often neglected in consideration is time management balancing the deal commitment, training, travel, academics, and down time with friends and family. Each athlete needs to maintain their support network – coaches, trainers, family, friends/teammates, lawyer, financial planner, and perhaps a therapist who understands this landscape.
And let us not forget, performance comes first. NIL deals should support this and not distract from it. Athletic and academic goals remain the primary priority.
Spotting Opportunities in Non-Revenue sports
Non-revenue sports such as wrestling, softball, tennis, fencing, swimming, track & field, XC, and lacrosse can build opportunities in local and niche partnerships. Options can include small area businesses such as sports equipment shops, restaurants, and/or regional brands and businesses such as apparel stores, car dealerships, nutrition companies, fitness studios.
Athletes can consider hosting youth sport camps or clinics. Speaking for a fee is common as is providing emcee duties for local tournaments or charity fundraisers.
Digital content and coaching among college athletes provide another avenue for making money. Athletes can launch sport-specific tutorials on YouTube or TikTok. Similar, athletes can offer one‑on‑one virtual coaching or skill analysis sessions.
Alumni and booster networks give athletes a natural way to engage former players and boosters for mentorship and introductions to money-making contracts and tap into philanthropic NIL investments from alumni donors.
Building Your Brand Strategically
Define an angle that makes you stand out? What makes you as an athlete different than anyone else? Is it leadership, community service, academic excellence, a special talent?
Please make sure you maintain a professional presence on any social media, websites, or tangible products you generate. Use consistency in your social media handles. Use high-quality headshots. Write a clear bio sharing your values and mission, social metrics, statistics, and proposed deliverables. Content on any social media platform needs to be consistent. It is helpful to schedule it and keep it ‘thematic’ – training tips, behind the scenes, academic journey, post-competition thoughts, and the like.
Questions to Ask Before Signing Any Deal
| Category | Questions to Ask |
| School/Compliance | What NIL rules apply? Who reviews my contracts? |
| Deal Structure | What services am I providing? What is the deliverable and timeline? |
| Compensation | Is payment flat‑fee, performance‑based, or product‑only? |
| Exclusivity | Am I restricted from working with competing brands? For how long? |
| Rights & Usage | How long can they use my likeness? In what markets or mediums? |
| Termination | Under what conditions can either party end the agreement? |
Experts needed for NIL deals
- Legal Advisor / Sports Attorney: Reviews contracts, protects interests
- Financial Planner / Tax Professional: Guides budgeting, tax filings for NIL income
- Brand Manager / Marketing Specialist: Helps craft content strategy, pitch decks
- Academic and Athletic Advisors: Ensures NIL commitments do not conflict with eligibility, travel, or classes and coursework
Educate and Connect to your school’s NIL information
Attend school NIL workshops and meet with the compliance officer and a trusted attorney. And regular review again is essential. At least once a quarter evaluate deal performance, academic/athletic balance, and mental well‑being.
Ask the crucial questions to make sure the NIL choices made are consistent with the rules and compliance requirements:
- What kind of NIL support does your school provide for athletes?
(e.g., legal, branding, marketing, tax guidance) - Does your athletic department have a dedicated NIL team or liaison?
- Are there partnerships with platforms, brands, or collectives to help athletes get deals?
- How do you educate your athletes on financial literacy, contracts, and taxes related to NIL?
- How many athletes on your team have NIL deals right now? What kinds of deals are typical?
- Are there restrictions on what types of companies I can work with (e.g., alcohol, gambling, competitors)?
- Can I pursue NIL deals during the season, or are there limitations on timing?
- Can I hire an agent, lawyer, or marketing rep to help with NIL? Does the school help with that process?
- Have NIL deals ever impacted scholarship availability or roster spots?
- How do you manage team chemistry when some athletes get NIL deals and others don’t?
- Does NIL ever affect playing time decisions in your program?
- Do you help athletes build their personal brand or social media presence?
- Are there media or communication classes or workshops tied to NIL education?
- Can athletes use team facilities or logos in their NIL content?
- Where do you see NIL going in the next 2-3 years, and how are you preparing your athletes for that?
- If I’m not highly ranked now, but I grow in your program, will I still have opportunities to earn through NIL?
There is a lot to know when it comes to NIL deals. Educate yourself. Discuss it opening with your athlete/child. Make sure any deal is in alignment with your values and priorities.
Parenting athletes is hard work. There’s an entirely new and different set of dynamics at work. You have to be mom, dad, or mom and dad, coach, counselor, EMT, equipment manager, engineer, and seamstress all before dinner! You’re not alone and maybe, just maybe, we can help each other navigate this never-ending path to glory. Hey, what’s your biggest challenge with your athlete?
