Thank you for your continued support of this newsletter. Please share with anyone who would be interested in this content.

If you are interested in NIL athlete representation, NIL education for your college or high school, and student-athlete personal brand coaching, please contact me: [email protected]

Build a brand that mirrors you

And why this is important for the long term

I talk a lot about athletes building their brand.

However, of all the tenets of brand building, one stands out above the rest:

Be you.

Sounds simple, right?

It is - but it’s also easy for people to get caught up in who they are not.

Are your teammates naturally funny, but you aren’t? Then don’t try to be funny, because your content will seem forced and unnatural. (And subsequently, not you.)

Eat a healthy diet but a fast food restaurant wants you to promote unhealthy food to your audience? You may have to turn down the deal, no matter how tempting it is. (Money-wise or deliciousness of the food.)

Case Study

Meet Rachel Glenn, 2x High Jump national champion at the University of Arkansas and 2024 US Olympian. In addition to building an impressive NIL portfolio with companies such as Steve Madden, Premier Sea Moss and The Ryl Company, Glenn recently partnered with Maji Pure, an Alkaline water company for a signature bottled water line.

Why is this valuable?

• Unique product

  • Rachel now has her own custom water bottle and can generate revenue from each unit sold, along with being a brand ambassador.

  • This may also prove to be more valuable for athletes than custom t-shirts and other wearable merchandise, in terms of a ‘1 of 1’ NIL model.

• Controlling her brand

  • This is a product and company Rachel truly believes in - which makes the partnership more authentic and relatable to her audience.

  • By partnering with brands that align with your ethos, you foster better partnerships and relationships.

• Thinking broader

  • Building a brand is always good for student-athletes. However, thinking longer term can provide value for years to come.

    • Rachel will be consuming Maji Pure water during the Olympics, and presumably into her professional track career post-college.

Thank You for reading today’s newsletter

^{I discuss insights and news related to NIL and personal branding for athletes every Wednesday at 12p ET/9a PT.}

Follow Sports Court on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube for more NIL content!