The world of athle-cs has changed dras-cally in the last 20-25 years. There has been the introduc-on of Name, Image, and Likeness, the transfer portal, television contracts, personalized training, Title IX focus, youth specializa-on, and a lot of other ini-a-ves and focuses that have embedded themselves into the fabric of sports, but the one thing has not changed is the essen-al focus of athle-cs…the athlete. The athlete has evolved physically and even mentally on the playing surface through the years because of the advancements in science and exposure, but in today’s world of athle-cs, what you do outside of the sport is just as important as what do inside of it. Whether they realize it or not, the modern athlete is under far more scru-ny than athletes of prior genera-ons because of the advent of social media and other internet-based plaJorms. The decisions on their future are made from hundreds of miles away with just a single click of a buKon. Having to navigate educa-on, athle-cs, a social calendar, and social responsibility is a delicate balance that can work in the favor of the athlete or to their detriment. In this book, we look to explore the world of athle-cs with nuance and real-life experiences to present a total picture of how to be the best version of an athlete’s self when trying to progress through the years of their athle-c career. Looking at early life through professional ranks, we will have gathered informa-on from over 100 coaches, scouts, athle-c directors, academic advisors, and everyone else that encounters a student-athlete, to help an athlete understand the ways to succeed and provide cau-onary tales on how they can fail. All in hopes to get the athlete to understand that from this day forward, they should consider themselves to be a brand. Just as Coca-Cola, Lexus, Apple, and many other successful companies have rules to follow to uphold their standard, so should the athlete. We will present you with those rules and the standards the athletes should consider. Welcome to Brand Yo(U).