The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
4EVER Texas Hosts Content Creator Panel
10.17.2024 | Student Services
This fall semester, the University of Texas at Austin put together a content creator panel to teach student-athletes the importance of promoting their image. This insightful panel was designed to help student-athletes become proficient in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Panelists Sydney Carter, Tomas Minc, and Yusuf Bizimana detailed their personal journeys in content creation and shared advice they wished they had known when they started creating content. This advice consisted of strategies for building one's brand, negotiating deals, and reaching their NIL ceiling.
"I've gotten so comfortable with talking in front of a camera, being in front of the camera all of the time. It's not always comfortable, but I am comfortable being uncomfortable," Sydney Carter, Women's Basketball Director of Player Development and assistant coach, shared when discussing one of the main reasons student-athletes struggle to build their brand. When student-athletes become comfortable sharing their journeys in front of a camera, content creation becomes a passion rather than a chore.
"You kind of just have to dip your toes right in and just start going at it cause if you look five years in the future, you're probably going to regret that you didn't take advantage of the spot you are in right now," Tomas Minc, Texas Athletics Creative Intern and USA Gymnast, when discussing how to take advantage of opportunities in creating content. Notably, Minc emphasized the importance of posting on social media to improve one's personal brand and make new connections.
In addition to equipping student-athletes with the skills necessary to succeed, 4EVER Texas Student-Athlete Development is dedicated to providing them with opportunities to make new connections and learn from individuals who have gone through similar experiences. In this panel discussion, student-athletes were able to connect with and learn from Carter, Minc, and Bizimana, all of whom have ample experience in the world of content creation. Each panelist shared what they have learned about content creation, what to watch out for, and how to make the most of the opportunities surrounding content creation.
"I think you just have to put yourself out there, tell your story, you know, it's yours to tell, you're the author of it, and people want to hear it," Yusuf Bizimana, current student-athlete in Track and Field, BIG 12 Indoor Conference Champion, and USTFCCCA 2nd Team All-American, shared his takeaways from the content creator panel. Other student-athletes described how their experience at the panel inspired them to want to take advantage of new opportunities and hear more of their teammates express their stories through content creation.
Beyond this event, 4EVER Texas Student-Athlete Development plans to host various other events regarding the topics discussed in the content creator panel, such as a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Legal Questions Clinic with Texas Law Students and an Entrepreneurship & Personal Branding Workshop with Kendra Scott.
Learn more about 4EVER Texas here.
Related story: Athletics hosts NIL content creation workshops for student-athletes
