Why Choosing One Word for Your Athlete Brand Is Important

Pick a word you can back up with something from your life. A teammate should recognize you in it. A stranger should understand it from the story or clip you share. That gives people something to remember beyond your sport and stats.

Start with a moment

A list of good qualities can get you stuck. Hardworking. Dedicated. Passionate. They sound right, but another athlete could paste them onto their page without changing anything.

Start somewhere more specific. Think about a moment that says something about how you compete or who you are. A time you stayed calm after a mistake. A choice you made when a plan fell apart. Something your teammates count on you to do.

Write down what happened before you name the quality. The word gets easier to find when you have a story in front of you.

Choose a word someone else would believe

In Week 2 of the Athlete Brand Challenge, I asked athletes to pick one word that describes them as an athlete and a person. Then show it or explain it.

I would skip 'hardworking.' Every athlete thinks that's them. What does your version look like? Are you inventive when you get stuck? Steady when everyone else gets rattled? The person who brings the energy when practice drags?

Try the word out on a teammate: 'Does this sound like me? When have you seen it?' If they can tell you a story right away, you've got something to work with.

The story gives the word meaning

My word is 'delusional.' I got cut from my college team, bought a one-way ticket to London, got an agent, and landed my first pro contract two months later.

The word by itself could mean a lot of things. That story tells you why I chose it.

You don't need a pro contract or a dramatic comeback. A small, specific moment works. For example, an athlete who chooses 'steady' could show the next play after a mistake and explain how they reset. That's a sample, so use a moment from your own life.

Make one post that proves it

Put the word in the top third of the screen, or say it on camera. Then give it evidence.

Use a clip, a carousel story, a voiceover, or a teammate explaining why the word fits you. Pick the format that makes the moment easiest to understand.

You don't need to cram your whole identity into one post. This is one way into your game, your story, your why. Let people see the trait through something you actually did.

Do this today

• Write down one moment a teammate would remember about you.

• Choose the word that fits that moment.

• Make a post showing or explaining it.

• For the Week 2 challenge, tag @tewdilly and use #AthleteBrandChallenge.

- Jared

Athlete Brand Coach & Founder, Tewdilly