By: Kelsey Irwin

As athletic departments are scrambling to move their services online, The Athlete Book jumps ahead by introducing an unprecedented competition offering student-athletes the opportunity to grow while collectively competing against each another. The competition is organized into eight categories including mental health, social branding, alumni engagement, diversity & inclusion, professional development, voter awareness, fundraising, and community outreach. Within each category, athletes can receive points for completing contest elements. In addition, The Athlete Book is looking for companies and brands to sponsor elements of the competition as a strategic recruiting effort.

The top-three teams at the completion of the competition will receive a donation towards their athletic department or to the charity of their choice. Founder and former student-athlete, Ryan Drummond, developed The Athlete Book in an effort to help uncover an athlete’s true identity and connect them to the right employers after graduation. He believes that “athletes possess the characteristics needed in great leaders and it is crucial that we help these individuals become more aware of who they are and what they can achieve”. With our country needing leaders now more than ever, The Athlete Books seeks to develop the next successful generation. In hopes of accomplishing this goal, the competition helps guide student-athletes in the right direction.

While all athletes are welcome to participate in the competition, the Athlete Book is targeting the Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) to sign up their teams. Drummond believes that targeting these groups for the competition is important because “The SAAC represents a mentally disciplined sub-group of already highly disciplined individuals. These individuals volunteer their time to look out for the best interests of the entire student-athlete population”. Every participating NCAA institution has a SAAC committee to ensure that athletes have a voice within the athletic department. Athletic departments expressly state that the overall development of every student-athlete on their campus is a priority. The SAAC Competition will complement the athletic department’s objectives in a virtual capacity.  Drummond explains,  “Athletes will emerge  as our next leaders if given the right incentive to explore and engage.”

Each of the eight themes provides opportunities for student-athletes to earn points from over fifty activities such as Tik Tok competitions, athlete mentorship videos, publishing articles, and completing career development experiences. In addition, student-athletes will have the opportunity to learn more about voter issues and participate in community outreach. With so many options, The Athlete Book hopes to attract strong interest for every eligible athlete.

As a learning management platform, The Athlete Book also provides educational content for the competition. Through some of the activities offered, the competition aims to play on athletes’ competitive nature and provide incentives to get in front of the best teachers. The Athlete Book team is actively collaborating with course creators, brands, and companies to take part in having their own sponsored element of the contest.

Finmango a 501(c)(3), Financial Literacy Company is the first of hopefully many more partners to join the contest. Founder Scott Glasgow said, “If we’re going to create a world where everyone has an opportunity. Then we are going to have to do it together. We’re excited to join hands with The Athlete Book in bringing further impact to college athletes. “

The student-athlete demographic is filled with hard-working, relentless, and tenacious individuals who, given the right tools, can make a massive impact at any organization. After all, Drummond believes, “in life, if you are not teaching the next generation and alerting them of common pitfalls so they can go further than you, then you are failing”. With that in mind, Drummond is actively focused on forming partnerships with third-parties to strengthen the collegiate athlete population. If you or someone you know has a message to share, contact The Athlete Book team here.

Often times, collegiate athletes graduate with desirable characteristics that may be lost in the hiring process. By knowing this, The Athlete Book helps connect athletes to companies that value the skills and experiences that come along with being a student-athlete. In addition, the company helps these athletes communicate their skills in an effective way through gaming career development. By forming relationships with companies such as Amazon, JP Morgan, Crunch Fitness, and Under Armor, The Athlete Book is able to make effective connections between employers and student-athletes. Drummond founded the company with the understanding that student-athletes simply do not have the time to seek internships and connections that many traditional college students are able to build. The Athlete Book team hopes that the SAAC competition can provide an avenue for participating teams to raise funds for their schools while also adding experience to their resume. Click here to join.