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Develop and pitch an athlete brand strategy in this 2-week program for high school students on Georgetown University’s campus.
Course Description
A strong athlete brand gives people a reason to pay attention and partners a reason to get involved. Shape that story around an audience you understand.
In this course you will explore the business and media behind college sports and how name, image, and likeness (NIL) has changed the relationships among athletes, schools, audiences, and commercial partners. Cases and discussion connect new opportunities with legal and ethical responsibilities.
Define your story, values, audience, and what makes your brand different, then plan content for different social platforms. Compare what brands want in a partner and how a sponsorship can strengthen or weaken credibility. Engagement needs to serve the audience, not just grow a follower count.
Your Personal NIL Brand Pitch brings those choices together. Explain your brand position, audience, content strategy, and potential partner fit. Discussion, practice, and feedback help you sharpen the reasoning behind the pitch. As both creator and decision-maker, you’ll consider what consistent and responsible representation looks like.
This two-week course for high school students takes place at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The program is developed by Georgetown University and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery. Residential and commuter options are available.
What You Will Do
• Map the business and media behind college sports
• Compare athlete marketing opportunities created by NIL
• Define your brand story, values, audience, and difference
• Plan social content for different platforms
• Evaluate potential partners for audience and brand fit
• Create and deliver your Personal NIL Brand Pitch
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Explain how NIL connects athletes, audiences, schools, and commercial partners
• Develop a brand strategy connecting identity, audience, and content choices
• Evaluate partnership fit using credibility and legal and ethical responsibilities
You’ll leave with your Personal NIL Brand Pitch and a certificate of completion.
Why Sports Marketing Skills Matter
Sports marketing requires students to connect identity with audience and business strategy. A personal brand is not only a logo or feed. It is a consistent set of choices about story, values, content, partnerships, and the people a message is meant to reach.
NIL also makes legal and ethical awareness essential. Students consider how a partnership may affect reputation, obligations, and trust. Evaluating fit and explaining a strategy strengthen media literacy, communication, and decision-making in a fast-changing marketplace.
Who Should Attend?
For students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade.
If you follow college sports, create content, or wonder why an athlete and a brand choose each other, this course connects those interests with marketing decisions. Athletes and non-athletes can explore the work through cases and an individual pitch. You’ll reflect on your own values and audience while considering the responsibilities that come with a public-facing brand.
Recommended by More Than 4 out of 5 Students
Based on students surveyed in 2026 about Summer Discovery High School programs at Georgetown University campus.
Your Summer at Georgetown University
Studying on Georgetown University’s campus gives high-school students the opportunity to explore an academic interest while experiencing campus life in Washington, D.C. Its historic campus and surrounding neighborhood sit near embassies, institutions, and organizations that shape national and international conversations, giving the summer a distinctive sense of place.
Students learn alongside peers with similar interests, navigate a new environment, and gain independence through everyday choices and responsibilities. Time outside class helps students experience the broader rhythm of university life while considering what subjects, communities, and possible directions feel right for them. For families, the program offers a combination of substantive academic exploration, personal growth, and clearer insight into what a student may want to study or pursue next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive