It’s More Than Just a Game: Helping Student-Athletes Navigate the Weight of NIL
It all begins with an idea.
Let’s be honest: student-athletes today aren’t just juggling academics and athletics. They’re juggling life at a level most adults would struggle to manage.
They’re expected to perform in the classroom like full-time students. Train like professionals. Maintain their mental health. Figure out their future. Learn how to navigate a social life. And now, thanks to this NIL ear, they’re also expected to be CEOs of their own brand, financial planners, brand strategists, content creators, understand and negotiate contracts, and do all of this before they can legally rent a car.
It’s a lot.
And while NIL has opened doors for student-athletes, it’s also introduced new complexities that many families, school, and athletes weren’t prepared for.
That’s exactly why I started NextGen Legacy NIL. I saw the gap. And I couldn’t ignore it.
What Student-Athletes Are Really Carrying
Behind every highlight reel, viral clip, or sponsorship post, there’s a young person trying figure out:
How to build a brand that feels authentic and real
How to manage time, school, sport, and a social life
What they should charge (or if they’re being taken advantage of)
How to plan for life after they retire from their sport
And truthfully? Most of them, and their families, are doing their best to figure it out as they go.
I believe they deserve better.
Who We Are And Why It Matters
I built NextGen Legacy NIL not as an agency or talent management company, but as a resource. A guide. A bridge between the athlete they are today and the leader they’re becoming tomorrow.
As a former Division I athlete myself, I know the pressure. I know what it’s like to carry your identity, your goals, and your future on your back before you’ve even figure out who you are.
But I also know the power of the right support.
Now, I’m a parent, a brand strategist, and an entrepreneur. And I care deeply about helping the next generation of athletes build something that lasts.
Whether it’s one-on-one coaching, workshops with schools, ore speaking directly to families, everything we do is rooted in clarity, confidence, and compassion.
Because NIL shouldn’t be about the now. It should be about building a legacy.
For the Few Who Go Pro and the Many Who Don’t
While some student-athletes may turn this chapter into a professional career, the vast majority will not. But what they can carry forward are the skills: how to negotiate, how to brand themselves, how to show, how to lead.
That’s what we’re here to teach.
We’re not here to sell dreams, but to build futures.
What’s Next
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing blogs, resources, and real world strategies to help you, where you’re an athlete, a parent, or an athletic director, make informed and empowering decisions.
In the meantime, if this resonates, reach out. You don’t have to navigate this alone. We’re here to tackle this with you.