Even in 2023, women are constantly fighting for equality, fair pay, equal representation, and comparable opportunities. It’s no secret that male athletes are some of the top earners when it comes to NIL. In fact, according to an article from Opendorse, men college athletes receive 66% of NIL collective deals.
Many of the profitable NIL deals and partnerships I see between women athletes and brands center on body image and how they use their physical appearance to generate revenue. But what can you do if you don’t want to use your sexuality to promote your NIL? What if you have a solid social media following and are ready to monetize in other ways besides focusing on your physical appearance?
When I was in school, I was super conscious of my body and wasn’t comfortable putting it on social media. While times were different, I’m pretty confident that I would not want to model or use my body to profit off of NIL. If you’re conservative athlete or just want to find other ways to earn NIL that connect to sports, below are a few ideas to help get you started.
NIL Opportunities for Women Athletes Focused on Talents, Not Looks
- Sports merchandise. Women can create and sell their own sports merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, and other accessories. They can also collaborate with sports brands to create limited edition merchandise that helps promote their brand and business.
- Organizing camps or sports seminars. If you have a knack for planning and a passion for camps, hosting your own camp over the summer or during school breaks is a great way to profit off of NIL. After obtaining the proper permits and licenses, women can generate money from camp fees, gear, and other purchases campers and their parents make during sessions.
- Virtual coaching. Women can also grow their business remotely, offering virtual coaching services to individuals who want to learn from an athlete. You can create personalized training plans, technique analysis, and mental preparation services to help prepare athletes for success in sports and in life.
- Sports photography. If you have a passion for digital photos, you can offer sports photography services to capture action shots of other athletes or at sporting events. You can also sell your photos as prints or digital downloads, which can serve as a great income stream.
- Podcasting. Athletes have so many stories to tell. You can build a business that shares your journey and tips for other peer or prospective college athletes. You can also host special guests on your show to help drive your following.
- Sports journalism. If you’re great at writing, you can build your own journalism business that offers services centered on sports-related matters, such as articles, blog posts, social content or video creation.
- Nutrition consulting. There are so many people in need of help to improve their diet and lifestyle. Women can open a business that focuses on nutrition counseling services that help optimize their clients health and overall wellness.
- Recruiting service. If you’ve played at the college level you probably know how profitable sports recruiting services have become. Athletes can create a business focused on helping athletes get noticed by schools. Putting together their website or creating a highlight video are examples of services that can be done on your down time while helping other athletes attract the attention of college programs.
- Event planning. So many people and companies love hosting sports events. If you are organized, planning camps, clinics, sports-themed retreats, tournaments, sports-themed parties and more can help you profit year-round.
- Technology consulting. Do you have a tech background? There are various businesses that are looking to develop products or improve existing ones. Serving as a tech consultant can be a great way to test out new products while earning mone