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Sports and NIL as a Platform for Social Change
Overview
This week’s blog highlights current and recent college athletes who are using their platforms to drive positive change in their communities and the world. It explores how having a platform in sports and the nature of NIL can lead to activism and ultimately encourage social responsibility.
Paige Bueckers
Paige Bueckers is a point guard for the University of Connecticut's women’s basketball team. After being named college athlete of the year for women's sports at the 2021 ESPYs, Bueckers used her platform to honor black women. “With the light that I have now as a white woman who leads a Black-led sport and celebrated here, I want to shed a light on Black women," she said. "They don't get the media coverage that they deserve. They've given so much to the sport, the community and society as a whole and their value is undeniable.” Along with her ESPY’s speech, she has used her social media accounts to advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement and gender disparities within sports.
The Cavinder Twins
Haley and Hanna Cavinder are point guards for the women’s basketball team at the University of Miami. Originally from Gilbert Arizona, the Cavinder Twins quickly rose to social media fame thanks to their skills on the court and frequent posting to apps like TikTok and Instagram. The Cavinders have become trailblazers when it comes to NIL partnerships, especially because they have joined a female NIL-focused campaign. In an article by Sports Illustrated, they have previously stated that “‘Our platform has allowed us to just showcase that to younger girls that play basketball or play any type of sport and just be good influences for them… being able to inspire them and [help them] understand that if they do something, just put your mind to it, do it at 100 percent, you can accomplish it.” This alone has shed light on bringing more support female collegiate athletics.
Cara Bognar
Cara Bognar, CEO of Top Tier Lessons and a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, is leveraging her experience as a former D1 swimmer to create social change. Bognar is passionately committed to motivating and empowering young individuals, helping them recognize that they too can accomplish great feats in sports, just like their role models. Through her work with Top Tier Lessons, she has cultivated a supportive and uplifting environment where the youth can discover their full potential and work towards their goals alongside inspiring coaches who are also D1 college athletes.
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