Youth Sports Business Report’s Post

Exciting Innovation or Uncharted Territory? A Look at NIL’s Role in Youth Sports. The recent announcement of Lacrosse Masters NILLY events is a bold new step in the NIL landscape. Offering NIL deals for top youth athletes in lacrosse showcases the rapid evolution of youth sports and name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities. As Lacrosse Masters and Inside Lacrosse set the stage for the next generation of players, several important questions arise about how NIL is implemented at this level. Empowerment Through NIL or Early Commercialization? With $60,000 allocated per event, these deals have the potential to support athletes financially. However, are we giving young athletes the skills to manage these opportunities effectively? Financial literacy and guidance will be critical to ensure they’re set up for long-term success, not just short-term gains. Transparency in Deliverables and Ownership: NIL contracts are complex, and it’s crucial that these young athletes and their families fully understand what is expected of them, who owns the content, and the duration of these rights. Clarity on these deliverables helps prevent potential pitfalls that could impact the athlete’s brand down the line. Role of Coaches, Parents, and Advisors: Coaches, families, and advisors should play an active role in supporting young athletes through these deals, ensuring they align with each athlete’s development goals. Young athletes often need advocates who can balance the appeal of NIL deals with their long-term growth. Are We Enhancing Athletes’ Lives Beyond Cash Deals? The goal should always be to help athletes build skills for life beyond the game—financial acumen, brand building, and community engagement. Without guidance, there’s a risk that NIL at the youth level might emphasize revenue over genuine empowerment. As NIL reshapes youth sports, there’s both immense potential and a clear responsibility to support young athletes responsibly. I’m excited to see what the future holds and hopeful that leaders in youth sports will prioritize the growth, education, and well-being of these promising athletes. If you want to learn more about how to build a better you through #nil #education, follow me at The Players NIL #YouthSports #NIL #Lacrosse #AthleteEmpowerment #NILeducation #LongTermSuccess, Inside Lacrosse, Terence Foy, Quint Kessenich, USA Lacrosse, Marc Riccio, Bill Carter, Graham Leveston, David Evans, Ken Clausen, Andrew Petcash, Mark Dixon, https://lnkd.in/eh---Nsw

🚨 Chasing Outcomes, Not Numbers: How MSU Women’s Soccer Maximizes Performance 🚨 Mississippi State University’s Women’s Soccer program is proving that success comes from balance, a balance between the art and science of training. Their philosophy? Be data-informed, not data-driven. Using STATSports technology, MSU crafts intentional, tailored training strategies to meet the unique needs of their athletes. It’s not about blindly chasing metrics but about ensuring every decision serves a purpose. Here’s what makes their approach stand out: ✔ Tailored Match Demands: Training plans are based on positional and individual needs, not just generic research. ✔ Clear Communication: Players and coaches receive personalized reports to foster accountability and improve decision-making. ✔ Precision & Strategy: From drill design to periodization, every session is meticulously planned with specific outcomes in mind. This data-informed strategy has not only helped MSU achieve success in the SEC but also empowered their athletes to reach their full potential. At STATSports, we’re proud to support programs like MSU that redefine excellence in collegiate athletics. 💪⚽ Let's chat about how STATSports can benefit your program, book your demo today -> https://lnkd.in/eVnqv3ba #AthletePerformance #CollegiateAthletics #ElitePerformance #STATSports #SportsScience #PlayerDevelopment

In today's college athletics landscape, NIL opportunities have emerged as a game-changing factor for student-athletes. As Olé Foundation Executive Director J.T. Rogan explains, the ability to benefit from their NIL has become crucial when deciding where to play. “NIL deals are now a top priority, sometimes even outweighing the prospect of turning pro early. More athletes are opting to stay in college longer, earning reasonable NIL compensation while honing their skills.” For our Toreros, having access to competitive NIL offers through the Olé Foundation is vital. Rogan explains how compensating players can help lead to more competitive rosters, and a better likelihood of winning games and trophies. By investing in the Olé Foundation, you directly support USD's athletic success at the highest levels. Click the link below to read Rogan’s full article, and don’t forget to subscribe to stay in touch with all things USD Athletics.

Was having a good call this morning with Josh Rosenthal about the growth and evolution of running clubs. As I watch the evolution of running clubs it reminds me of the early days of AAU basketball teams. I know those sound disconnected but let me explain. AAU basketball teams started as a place for the young athletes to get more opportunities to play outside of the normal "season" of the sport - so, you'd play winter basketball for your school and during the off-season you would play for an AAU team. These teams were led by local coaches, often coaches from the school systems who helped coach the kids through these off-season programs. However, eventually things changed. The coaches for these teams started to assemble "marketable talent." This marketable talent started being led by coaches that became mini-business owners, developing relationships with tournaments, sponsors, and major shoe/apparel brands. Coaches could really make a living as a coach of an AAU basketball team, if they were good enough and marketable enough. How does this carry over to running groups? Well, it seems as though there is a trend towards "founder" led running groups. These running groups are developing relationships with running stores, sponsors, and shoe/apparel brands. They are building their owns businesses. Running clubs, largely, used to be connected to local specialty running stores that would meet a few times a week for a run out of the store. But, now it seems that the center of gravity for running clubs has shifted from the local running store to the club founder/influencer. By the way, I'm not suggesting that there is anything inherently wrong with this (although it did become a MAJOR issue in the AAU space as scandals began to grow). Rather, it is just an interesting evolution that feels like it is following a similar path. https://lnkd.in/g24xXDwh

Las Vegas is increasingly a sports destination for people across the globe 🌎 With the capacity to seat hundreds of thousands of fans in professional sports venues, an abundance of annual events to attract tourists, and impressive growth of sports employment on the horizon Vegas is only set to expand. According to the report produced in partnership between UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) and UNLV Sports Innovation. The UNLV Running Rebel football team is off to a historic 4-0 start after losing their starting QB and Wide receiver then winning this weekends game against the Fresno State Bulldogs It wasn't until 2021 that the NCAA changed rules to allow students to profit from their name, image and likeness -- otherwise known as NIL. What exactly is NIL? "NIL" stands for "name, image and likeness." It refers to a person's legal right to control how their image is used, including commercially. Now students are more sensitive than any time in history to financial deals while in college. Which is what led to the current holdout by the UNLV QB and Wide Receiver earlier this week. If UNLV continues to win, the decision to holdout might prove unwise. NIL allows NCAA players to profit from their publicity while still in school. LSU has a program called NILSU that helps student-athletes build their network and learn how to capitalize on their brand, including exceptional student athletes like Livvy Dunne. A Gymnast with an estimated NIL valuation of $3.9 - $13.4 million, and one of the most-followed student-athletes ever with a combined social media following of 13.2 million people. She is only 21 years old. And Angel Reese, a Women's basketball star with an NIL valuation of over $1 - $7.4 million. She is only 22 years old. Congratulations is in order for The UNLV Running Rebels football team on their win! #UNLV #vegas #ncaa #LSU #Business #research #NIL #NCAAFootball #NCAASports #SportsInnovation 🏈👑

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Century of School Sports: Good Sports Are Winners Then, Now & Always – MHSAA

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The NCAA D1 roster cap aspect of the House proposed settlement is problematic and warrants further scrutiny. My article with Brandon Leopoldus in Sports Illustrated highlights the harm being caused to nonrevenue athletes on D1 campuses. Coach James Franklin at Penn State University was quoted over the weekend about walk-on athletes like Dom DeLuca losing out in the future if the roster cap provision goes into effect. D1 athletics are starting to express concern for this under-exposed issue. #SportsBusiness #NIL #sports #CollegeSports #NCAA #SportsLaw

the golden handshake is now public #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement