The demise of team? NIL- NOTHING INSTANT LASTS – Part 1
T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves More… I’m not sure, but I no longer think TEAM means the same thing. Individualism, “look at me”, “it’s all about me”, “get mine”, seems to be the emphasis in the performance arena even where “team” sports are concerned. I’m all for celebrating the uniqueness of individuals and embracing distinctive talents and abilities. The truth is, however, there is nothing in life that we accomplish 100% autonomously, without some participation from others. So, whether you’re a team sport athlete or a single competitor like a golfer or diver, you still have others on your “team”- other athletes, coaches, trainers, parents, significant others, etc. It seems the value and appreciation for the contribution of others is diminishing.
In a world where the average American’s life is inundated with social media inputs, it’s become apparent that the exalted individual is placed at a much higher premium than team cohesion and playing for something bigger than yourself. It was once held that the player who elevated his teammates was more valuable than the most “gifted” player concerned with stat stacking. That can only occur when athletes see WE/US as more important than I/ME. The current climate propagates the exact opposite message. It has infected college sports and is no doubt trickling down to youth and high school athletes, as well.
On a college visit with my son (circa, spring 2021), to a small D-2 school in Florida, they held a session for parents of athletes to explain the new NIL initiative. I listened, even took some notes. I imagined this would be something long overdue to demonstrate some shift in paradigm that would recognize the billions of dollars made off the backs of student-athletes. I wouldn’t have conceived the cluster of toxicity this has become.
Today, I interpret “NIL” as the name of new toothpaste- a toothpaste that has been squeezed all over the counter, smeared into the sink, and half washed down the drain. And now, many are wishing we could somehow put it back in the tube.
You may be inclined to believe that I’m against paying student-athletes. Or that I’m against athletes transferring if they find themselves in a program that is not the right fit. I’m not. I’m against monumental actions such as, paying teens and young adults millions of dollars and allowing them to bounce from team to team inconsequentially and without any guardrails to protect them from themselves and others. I’m against handicapping coaches from having any capacity to build a viable team and I’m against sending young people to the wolves of social media, unarmed and unskilled to manage such a hostile and unrelenting environment.
Probably the greatest irony is that NIL, which could stand for “Nothing Instant Lasts”, can be likened to the phenomenon in professional sports which some research suggests more than 60% of the athletes are broke within 5 years (ChatGPT, 2025). There have been countless reports and social media reports of college athletes signing huge deals and immediately buying sports cars, expensive jewelry and other lavish items. Though there is nothing wrong with celebrating one’s arrival at opulence, without preparation and education we are paving the way for future hardship. This should be a call to action.
I’ve heard countless times from coaches that they desire more mental toughness in their athletes. The problem is not that athletes are not mentally tough. It’s that they are mentally unfit. These athletes haven’t acquired the tools of mental fitness because mental fitness is not particularly sexy and it has not been prioritized. Resources for honing your mental game are becoming demystified, even popularized in recent years. Yet we have young adults that experience the highest rates of depression and anxiety in history and athletes are not immune to these statistics. They don’t lack mental toughness; they lack mental training. In my experience, athletes that learn the tools of Mental Fitness not only grow mentally stronger and improve their mental wellbeing, there is also a protective factor that is observable. These athletes develop flexible minds first and they grow into strong minds. No time in college sports history has this topic ever been more relevant or more important to consider. College athletes aren’t strangers to performing under pressure. However, NIL and the current model of the transfer portal have created a cesspool of uncontrollable variables. What mental training is being provided to players, teams, and coaches to protect their mental real estate in a climate that is so potentially toxic?
