Overview
Luke Fedlam advises high school student athlete Kaylee Jackson in the WSYX ABC 6 series, "NIL Kids". The series follows Kaylee and her family as they navigate new name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities available to high-school athletes in Ohio.
NIL Kids: Where to Start with NIL
In Episode one, "NIL Kids: Where to Start with NIL," Luke counsels Kaylee and her family as they enter the NIL landscape.
He shares, "When we look at NIL at the high school level, it's very much about pure NIL, about a high school student athlete being able to partner with a local company, a local brand, to be able to do social media influencing maybe make appearances, but to do things that can help bring value to that company, and also then value to that student athlete."
NIL Kids: The Debate over High School NIL
Episode three of the series, "NIL Kids: The Debate over High School NIL," details recent debates around high school NIL in Ohio.
In response to proposed bans on high school NIL by State of Ohio lawmakers, Luke states, "Student-athletes have an opportunity, an opportunity to earn compensation through name, image, and likeness, and to prohibit that now after the member schools of OHSAA voted in favor of a bylaw allowing name image and likeness that OHSAA drafted itself, is just disappointing."
NIL Kids: OHSAA Explains NIL Rules for High School Athletes
Episode four of the series features insights from Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) leadership regarding student and family protections in the realm of high school NIL.
Luke states, "Name, Image, and Likeness is new for a lot of people, and you have to understand what you're getting into. But a high school student athlete is not signing their own contract. Their parents and guardians are involved in that process ... [T]here has to be education and OHSAA is doing a good job of trying to educate families. But at the same time, because of the potential for a lack of understanding you shouldn’t prohibit the opportunity to learn."
You can watch NIL Kids episodes 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the ABC6 website.
