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Local high school softball player lands NIL deal
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High school athletes in Florida are cashing in on new name, image and likeness opportunities. One standout athlete from Southwest Florida is making the most of this chance.
With NIL opportunities now available to Florida high schoolers, D1 Training in Fort Myers has signed a local athlete to a deal.
Anayeli Guzman, a varsity softball standout at Evangelical Christian School since seventh grade, is the athlete benefiting from this new opportunity. She is currently a sophomore.
“Honestly, this gym has helped me a lot with training,” said Guzman.
Guzman hopes her NIL deal will prepare her for college.
“I hope this NIL deal teaches me a lot, like how to prepare for college and stuff because I know it’s a big deal in college to have NIL deals,” said Guzman.
Last summer, the Florida High School Athletic Association voted to allow high school athletes to sign NIL deals. D1 Training in Fort Myers is among the first businesses to capitalize on this opportunity.
“We want to expand into different sports. We just thought she was one of the perfect clientele for us to do it. I think it helps us get the word out about what we’re doing inside of here,” said Jaylen Watkins, owner of D1 Training Fort Myers.
Guzman’s deal with D1 includes free training, exclusive D1 merchandise and a promo code for her peers to get a discount. The gym uses content from her workouts for social media and marketing.
“I just hope that I can obviously show D1 as a gym and myself, too,” said Guzman.
Watkins, a former college and professional football player, acknowledges that high school athletes might not make millions like their college counterparts, but he sees the value in teaching financial literacy early.
“There’s a bigger responsibility for the younger athlete because if you’re trying to become something great and receive a lot of money for what you do, there’s another side of that that you also have to be responsible for,” said Watkins.
Guzman believes becoming a businesswoman at 15 will give her a competitive edge when she steps onto the collegiate diamond.
Guzman and Watkins both expressed their hopes to sign more NIL deals in the future.