You got the deal.
Now learn the money part.

Rookie Numbers teaches high school athletes the financial side of NIL. Taxes, contracts, budgeting, all of it. Because getting a brand deal is one thing. Knowing what to do with it is another.

Your first NIL deal: $2,000
Federal + state taxes -$480
Self-employment tax -$306
What you actually keep $1,214
Did anyone tell you this? Probably not.
Financial literacy for student-athletes NIL tax education Contract basics Budgeting irregular income Know your worth Built by students, for students Workshops for high schools 29 states allow HS NIL earnings Financial literacy for student-athletes NIL tax education Contract basics Budgeting irregular income Know your worth Built by students, for students Workshops for high schools 29 states allow HS NIL earnings

Nobody teaches this stuff in school

More than half the country now lets high school athletes earn money off their name. That's great. But nobody walks them through the financial side. Not their school. Not their coach.

The financial literacy classes that exist don't touch 1099 income or self-employment tax. And most NIL resources are made for college athletes who already have agents.

We started Rookie Numbers because we kept watching friends sign things without reading them. Somebody had to start talking about this, so we did.

Read more about the problem
"I got offered $500 for an Instagram post and had no idea I'd owe like $130 in taxes on it. Nobody mentioned that part."
- High school athlete, Virginia

How it works

We come to your school and run a workshop. It's not a lecture. Here's the rough shape of it.

1

We set it up with your school

A coach, athletic director, or student org reaches out. We figure out a time that works, how many athletes, and what to focus on.

2

We run the workshop

45 minutes to an hour. We go through taxes, contracts, budgeting, and valuation with real examples. We answer questions the whole time.

3

Athletes leave knowing the basics

By the end, they know what 1099 income is, how to read a basic contract, and how to figure out if a deal is worth taking.

Where we're at

We're just getting started. Here's what the landscape looks like.

$1.17B
Total NIL market size in 2024
8M+
High school athletes in the US
29
States where HS athletes can earn NIL money
~0
Financial programs built for them

Questions we get a lot

If yours isn't here, just email us.

No. We're students doing this because we think it matters. We're not charging anything right now.

No, and we're upfront about that. We teach general financial literacy around NIL. For specific tax or legal advice, athletes should talk to a professional. We just make sure they know enough to ask the right questions.

Yes. We prefer in-person because it's easier to have real conversations, but we can do it over Zoom if your school isn't local.

Usually 45 minutes to an hour. We can adjust based on what your team needs and how much time you have.

NIL laws vary by state. We cover the general financial principles that apply everywhere, and flag the stuff that depends on your state so athletes know to look into their specific rules.

Want to bring Rookie Numbers to your school?

We're looking for coaches, ADs, and student orgs who want to run a workshop. Takes five minutes to set up.