The Truth About Athletic Brands and NIL Deals Most Sports Parents Miss

Most sports parents focus exclusively on stats, highlight reels, and college coach connections while overlooking the business infrastructure their teen athletes need to succeed in the NIL era. The gap between athletic performance and brand strategy creates missed opportunities for athletes who could be building valuable partnerships while still in high school. By the time families understand how athletic brands and NIL deals actually work, their athletes have already made preventable mistakes that cost them credibility and income.

Alex Onaindia identified this gap in 2018 when he launched Distinction Agency after years of working on brand marketing campaigns for professional athletes. The pattern was consistent across every project: athletes had agents who were lawyers first, and marketers never. Marketing obligations got treated as afterthoughts in contracts rather than strategic opportunities. At age 26, Onaindia quit his job to build an agency that treats athletes as creators and focuses on authentic storytelling across platforms.

In this episode of BABES BALLS & BRANDS™, host Janet Moreira examines how athletes and brands can structure partnerships where everyone benefits. Moreira's background as a Board Certified Intellectual Property attorney and sports mom navigating high school football recruiting with her own kids provides the legal and practical framework for understanding NIL deals, brand partnerships, and the creator economy. This conversation delivers actionable strategies for sports parents and teen athletes trying to build sustainable athletic brands while maintaining authenticity and protecting long-term value.

Why Most Athlete Marketing Fails and What Actually Works  

The traditional athlete endorsement model treated marketing as something that happened after contracts got signed. An athlete would partner with a brand, post whatever content the brand requested, collect a check, and move on to the next deal. Onaindia recognized this approach missed the fundamental point of what makes partnerships valuable in a landscape where audiences can instantly detect authenticity.

Distinction Agency built its foundation on what Onaindia calls the triple win philosophy. The talent wins, the brand wins, and the agency wins. This approach starts with an inventory process that maps what the athlete actually uses in daily life. What makeup brands do they reach for every morning? What clothing fills their closet? What car sits in their driveway? These details matter because teen athletes building trust with their communities cannot afford to endorse products they clearly do not use or believe in.

The inventory method creates a foundation for partnerships that last years instead of ending after one campaign cycle. Sports parents should encourage their teen athletes to start this process before NIL deals arrive. What brands align with your values? What products do you already discuss with teammates? What companies support causes that matter to you? These answers become the roadmap for athletic brands that generate income while maintaining credibility with fans, teammates, and college recruiters evaluating social media presence during the high school football recruiting process.

The Board of Directors Every Teen Athlete Needs  

Moreira tells her own kids something that most sports parents overlook until problems emerge. Your team off the field is just as important as your team on the field. Teen athletes and their families often focus exclusively on coaches, trainers, and teammates while ignoring the business infrastructure that protects and grows brand value over time. "How do you build a board of directors? You know, how do you have the agency, the financial advisor, the attorney, and all the right people in place? That's how you can truly protect yourself," Onaindia explains when discussing what athletes need beyond performance training.

The NIL landscape has matured rapidly since its inception, and the deals getting structured today look nothing like early agreements. Sports parents now encounter contracts with performance incentives, retention bonuses tied to staying at schools for multiple years, and specific metrics that athletes must hit to unlock full compensation. These agreements require legal review, financial planning, and marketing strategy that exceeds what any single person can provide. Athletes who navigate this alone or rely solely on well-meaning parents without specialized expertise end up leaving money on the table or signing deals that create future problems.

Building this board of directors should happen before the first NIL deal lands in an athlete's inbox. Sports parents can start by identifying who handles legal protection, financial planning, marketing strategy, mental performance support, and academic guidance. Each person on this board brings expertise that protects different aspects of an athlete's future. An attorney who understands IP law and NIL regulations prevents contract problems. A financial advisor handles tax strategy and long-term wealth building. An agency or consultant treats brand building as seriously as athletic training. A sports psychologist addresses mental toughness for young athletes navigating pressure. An academic counselor keeps athletic scholarships aligned with educational goals. The families who assemble this team early give their teen athletes a significant advantage in youth sports and beyond.

What the Erica Wheeler Campaign Reveals About Timing  

In 2021, Distinction Agency structured a partnership between WNBA All-Star Erica Wheeler and Prince Street Pizza that demonstrated how athlete collaborations could work when all parties commit to creativity over transactions. Wheeler created her own menu item with her favorite toppings and ingredients. The Erica Wheeler pie is sold in locations across Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and on Uber Eats. A portion of the proceeds went directly to her nonprofit, and Prince Street fed all the kids at her basketball camps for years.

This campaign happened before Angel Reese had a McDonald's meal and before women's sports partnerships became the trend every brand wanted to chase. Distinction Agency positioned Wheeler for success by recognizing that authentic partnerships with community impact create more value than chasing the biggest immediate paycheck. Wheeler got a partnership aligned with her community values that supported the kids she mentored. Prince Street got an authentic spokesperson who genuinely loved their product and brought her audience into the experience. Nobody was checking boxes or fulfilling minimum obligations.

Sports parents and teen athletes should study this model when considering their own brand building approach. The best opportunities are not always the biggest checks. Sometimes the partnerships that create the most long-term value include creative input, support for causes that matter to the athlete, and relationships that can grow over years instead of ending after a single campaign. For youth sports families trying to position their athletes for athletic scholarships and NIL deals, understanding this difference separates athletes who build sustainable brands from those who chase every dollar without strategy or long-term thinking.

How NIL Deal Structures Are Evolving Right Now  

The early days of NIL resembled an unregulated marketplace where athletes could transfer schools every year, collect checks from collectives, and move on without consequence. Brands threw money at athletes based solely on follower counts without understanding whether those audiences actually converted to sales. Everyone was learning in real time, and mistakes happened on all sides. The landscape today looks completely different, and sports parents need to understand current trends if they want their teen athletes to succeed.

Performance incentives have become standard in NIL deals across both college and high school levels where regulations permit them. Athletes are not just getting paid for signing contracts anymore. They earn bonuses for hitting specific milestones, whether that involves social media engagement metrics, sales conversions, or staying enrolled at a school for multiple years. This shift makes sense when considered like any other professional relationship. Employers pay for results, not just for showing up. The athletes who treat their brand partnerships like professional commitments will have more opportunities than those who see NIL deals as easy money without corresponding obligations.

Retention strategies are also changing how deals get structured, particularly at the college level. The pattern of athletes transferring every single year to chase the next collective check is facing pushback from programs, collectives, and agents who recognize that constant movement serves nobody's long-term interests. Moreira points out that this raises questions about employment status and collective bargaining that the industry will need to address as regulations mature. For now, sports parents should help their teen athletes think about commitment and trajectory instead of maximizing dollars in year one only. The athletes who build reputations for honoring commitments and delivering measurable results will command higher rates and better terms as their careers progress through high school football recruiting and into college athletics.

Authentic Brand Building Through Strategic Partnerships  

Onaindia emphasizes that authentic partnerships require understanding brand goals before suggesting talent for campaigns. A sales and conversion-driven campaign requires different talent than a brand awareness and impressions campaign. Some athletes can genuinely move product when they endorse something, while others excel at creating video content that builds brand visibility without driving immediate purchases. Understanding these distinctions helps match the right athletes with the right opportunities.

Demographics and audience insights play a significant role in partnership selection beyond just follower counts. The age breakdown of an athlete's audience matters when brands target specific generations. Geographic location can be critical when brands launch products in specific markets or activate at tent pole events. An athlete based in the tri-state area brings different value for a New York City product launch than someone with a larger following but based elsewhere.

The inventory approach that Distinction Agency uses with new clients creates opportunities that feel natural rather than forced. Onaindia shares an example of suggesting partnerships based on makeup brands athletes already use, clothing brands they actually wear, and cars they genuinely drive. This authenticity resonates with audiences who can instantly detect when athletes endorse products they clearly do not use. For teen athletes building their personal brands, focusing on products and services they already love creates partnership opportunities that feel like extensions of their personality rather than obvious advertisements that damage credibility with peers and college recruiters.

Community Impact as Brand Strategy  

The Prince Street Pizza partnership with Erica Wheeler demonstrated how community involvement can differentiate athletic brands in crowded markets. The campaign included nonprofit donations and feeding kids at basketball camps, creating impact beyond product sales and social media posts. This approach builds goodwill in communities while giving athletes partnership opportunities that align with their values and long-term brand positioning.

Sports parents should encourage their teen athletes to consider how brand partnerships can support causes that matter to them. An athlete passionate about youth mentorship might seek partnerships that include camp sponsorships or equipment donations. An athlete focused on education might prefer brands that offer scholarship components or tutoring program support. These considerations create partnerships that feel meaningful rather than purely transactional while building athletic brands that stand for something beyond individual achievement.

The workforce development component that some sports organizations now integrate into programming demonstrates how athletic participation translates to professional skills. Onaindia discusses how Distinction Agency hosts events bringing multiple clients together, creating networking opportunities and content collaborations that benefit everyone involved. Teen athletes who understand networking, content creation, and professional relationship building gain advantages that extend far beyond their playing careers. Sports parents can facilitate this development by encouraging their athletes to view every partnership and program as an opportunity to build skills that transfer to any future career path.

Strategic Growth Through Organic Partnership Development  

Distinction Agency's growth from startup to representing over 300 athletes and brands happened through organic relationship building rather than aggressive sales tactics. Onaindia emphasizes that many of their significant partnerships came to them rather than being solicited, suggesting that consistent value delivery creates opportunities for collaboration. This principle applies to teen athletes building their own brands in youth sports contexts.

Athletes who consistently create quality content, engage authentically with their audiences, and deliver results for partners naturally attract better opportunities over time. The key is maintaining consistency and authenticity rather than chasing every possible deal. Sports parents can support this approach by helping their teen athletes think strategically about which opportunities align with long-term goals versus which ones offer short-term money but potential long-term brand damage.

The creator economy has blurred traditional lines between athletes and influencers, creating opportunities for teen athletes who understand how to build audiences across multiple platforms. Onaindia notes that Distinction Agency does not just look at on-field performance when evaluating potential clients but also considers what type of brand and persona they are building online. Do they host a podcast? What kind of content do they create beyond highlights? These questions matter because athletic scholarships and professional contracts increasingly consider an athlete's ability to drive engagement and create content that benefits team and sponsor brands.

Preparing for Industry Evolution  

The sports marketing landscape continues to evolve as brands recognize that women's sports offer profitable investment opportunities rather than charity work. Onaindia predicts continued maturation in how deals get structured, with more sophisticated metrics, performance incentives, and retention strategies becoming standard across both professional and collegiate levels. Sports parents need to stay informed about these trends to help their teen athletes make smart decisions.

The question of employment status for college athletes receiving significant NIL compensation will likely lead to collective bargaining agreements and more formalized structures. Moreira points out that if athletes face work obligations similar to employment, there must be corresponding protections and benefits. This evolution will create new opportunities and challenges for families navigating high school football recruiting and college athletics decisions.

Technology continues to change how athletes build and monetize their brands. New platforms emerge constantly, and the strategies that work today may become obsolete tomorrow. The athletes who adapt quickly and maintain authentic connections with their audiences will succeed regardless of platform changes. Sports parents can support this adaptability by encouraging their teen athletes to focus on fundamental skills like storytelling, content creation, and relationship building rather than chasing trends on specific platforms that may not exist in five years.

Listen to the Full Conversation  

The sports marketing landscape changes constantly, and families who stay informed make better decisions for their teen athletes. Janet Moreira brings her perspective as both a Board Certified IP attorney and a sports mom living the high school football recruiting journey to every episode of BABES BALLS & BRANDS™. Her conversation with Alex Onaindia covers additional strategies for finding authentic brand fits, red flags to watch in partnership agreements, and advice for athletes considering entrepreneurship.

New episodes of BABES BALLS & BRANDS™ drop twice monthly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. The show delivers real talk for athletes, sports parents, and brands navigating the NIL era. No corporate speak, no fluff, just actionable information that helps sports families make smarter decisions about athletic brands, recruiting, and building sustainable careers in and around athletics.

Connect with the BABES BALLS & BRANDS™ community and join sports parents learning how to support their teen athletes through one of the most dynamic periods in youth sports history. Whether you need to understand athletic scholarships, decode NIL deal structures, or help your athlete build mental toughness for the journey ahead, this community provides practical guidance without the noise.

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