Parent NIL: What High School and Youth Sports Parents Need to Know
The pace at which NIL has made its way from college to high school - and soon to youth sports - is tied to support from the general public.
According to a recent Washington Post / Povich Center for Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland Poll, 54% of adults support high school athletes earning money through NIL. 40% of those surveyed think youth athletes should be able to participate in NIL before high school.
With limited support from other sources, learning about NIL is a burden that will fall to the parents. As a parent, youth coach, and someone who is immersed in NIL, I urge other parents to consider the following priorities.
1 > Safety
Safety should be priority #1 when it comes to any athlete under the age of 18 engaging in NIL. What most parents don’t realize is that most NIL activity is a form of social media marketing, sometimes referred to as influencer marketing.
80% of all college NIL is influencer marketing. Given the access of social media to high school students, I suspect that it will make up 90%+ of all high school NIL activity.
When it comes to high school and youth NIL, parents can play a role in implementing a social media safety plan, including:
Privacy Settings: Regularly review and adjust privacy settings on all social media platforms that your young athlete uses. Limit the amount of their personal information visible to the public.
Secure Passwords: Set up for them strong, unique passwords for each social media account. Enable two-factor authentication when available.
Be Mindful of What They Share: Never allow your child to share sensitive personal information such as home address, phone number, and financial details. Do not allow them to share their or your family’s location.
Vet and Monitor Followers: Regularly review your young athlete’s followers and connections. Block or remove anyone who exhibits inappropriate behavior or makes you or them feel uncomfortable.
Legal Compliance: Familiarize yourself with the legal implications of their social content. Respect copyright laws, and ensure that you have the right to use and share any material.
Prepare Them to Handle Negative Feedback: They should be prepared for criticism and negative comments. Help them develop a strategy for dealing with online trolls and negativity.
Separate Personal and Professional Accounts: Work with them to maintain separate accounts for their personal and professional use to keep their private life more secure.
2 > Eligibility
My next recommendation for parents is to focus on maintaining their young athlete’s eligibility both at their current and next level of sport participation. Young athletes should never do anything in their pursuit of NIL that could jeopardize their eligibility.
Currently, 34 state high school athletic associations permit NIL. The remaining states are considering an NIL plan for their high school athletes. There is no national standard and parents should go to their state athletic association’s website to review NIL rules. Breaking a state athletic association’s NIL guidelines typically results in loss of eligibility.
As of now, I’m not aware of any national youth sports organization that has published their own NIL guidelines. These organizations have strict policies tied to the “amateur status” of participating athletes. Their definition of “amateur” usually includes language such as, “someone who plays solely for the physical, mental, and social benefits of the sport and cannot receive compensation related to athletic activity.” Based on this definition, youth athletes could be ruled ineligible if they were paid for NIL activity.
3 > Opportunity
For young athletes who choose to pursue NIL, I think it’s crucial for parents to be clear about the big picture.
While a financial windfall is possible, it’s extremely unlikely for 99.9% of high school and youth athletes. But there are a host of other outcomes that can make NIL worthwhile, including:
Charitable Initiatives: NIL activities can be used to support charitable causes, allowing young athletes to make a positive impact in their communities.
Career Development: NIL activities can serve as a platform for student-athletes to develop skills in marketing, branding, and entrepreneurship.
Building a Personal Brand: Engaging in NIL activities helps student-athletes build and strengthen their personal brand, which can have long-term benefits.
Networking Opportunities: NIL activities provide student-athletes with networking opportunities, opening doors for various career paths.
Financial Literacy Education: While most young athletes won’t make a lot of money, engaging in NIL activities can provide student-athletes with practical experience in managing their finances and being responsible with their earnings.
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Bill Carter is an NIL Consultant, Educator, and Speaker. He is a NIL Columnist for Sports Business Journal and teaches NIL in College Sports at the University of Vermont’s Grossman School of Business. Click here to read about Bill’s NIL Consulting and NIL Education for sports organizations, universities, and brands.