I Have An Idea… Let Them Tweet

“Come to our school and we’ll build your personal brand, off the field.” – No School Ever

Schools are going about managing social media the wrong way. Rather than forbidding your athletes from taking part in what makes today’s society unique, open and dynamic (our ability to speak our minds and communicate with anyone at any time, from anywhere in the world via social media), instead educate your athletes on how they can use this space to build their own brands and set themselves up for future success. That’s part of the goal, right? It’s not just about winning on the field; it’s about equipping your students with the tools necessary to succeed in the real world…right?

Assuming you said yes, let’s look at one of the reasons why helping your athletes build their personal brands using today’s tools can help your program in the short and long term. Recruiting.

We all know recruiting is the heart of any successful program and that’s why we start here. In many cases, athletes and their families will choose the program that gives them the best chance of playing at the next level. However, the realities of professional athletics are harsh, nearly as harsh as the environments many of these kids are brought up in. Often times making it to the NFL, NBA or MLB can feel like a matter of life or death to the families of the athlete. That pressure can leave everyone involved with tunnel vision. The problem is statistics show that only 1 percent of NCAA men’s basketball players and 2 percent of NCAA football players are drafted by NBA or NFL teams, even less finding success at the next level.

That’s where we come in. The odds are stacked against these kids and very few (if any) programs are offering to build on their inherently influential personal brands. It’s here where we can protect these kids from the pitfalls that come from not realizing the professional sports dream. Student athletes, by nature of participating in athletics at a high level, are influencers, much more so than your typical academic scholar.  Yet, we ignore that fact and sacrifice that individual influence for the sake of the team. The “greater good.”

But, today’s high school athletes are starting to think differently. Today’s blue-chipper knows he or she has a brand and they’re building their names through social media long before reaching the NCAA level. Rather than thwarting that initiative, encourage it. Build programming into your curriculum that helps these individuals develop a personal brand, ensuring they leave your University on a path to success.

No school is doing this. No school is encouraging individuality. No school is embracing the athlete’s social media. Be different.  Be the change. The byproduct of which will no doubt be stronger recruiting classes, more wins and more money. But the real reason we need to change is because 80%. That’s the percentage of NFL players who go broke in their first three seasons out of the league. That’s not okay. That has to stop. That’s where we come in. The real reason we need to change is for the athletes.

Athletes are brands too.

“I Have An Idea…” is a series written for College AD by the author of Brands Win Championships, Jeremy Darlow.