1. Overview

The Next Level Sports Athlete of the Year Contest (the “Contest”) is designed to recognize and reward outstanding student-athletes who embody talent, work ethic, leadership, and the Next Level mindset. One (1) winner will be selected through public voting to receive a $500 scholarship, awarded during their senior year of high school.

2. Eligibility

To be eligible to enter, participants must:

• Be a high school student-athlete graduating in the Class of 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, or 2029.
  
  
• Submit a completed contest entry form with all required information.
  
  
• Provide accurate, truthful, and verifiable details (name, school, sport, class year, highlight link, etc.).
  
  
• Obtain parent or guardian permission if under 18 years old.
  
  

Not eligible: NLS staff members, partners, or their immediate family members.

3. Entry Period

• The submission period begins October 15th, 2025 and ends November 15th, 2025.
  
  
• Entries received after the deadline will not be considered.
  
  

4. How to Enter

1. Complete the official Athlete of the Year Entry Form (link provided on NLS website and social media).
   
   
2. Include all required fields, such as:
   
   

• Full Name, Class Year, School, Sport/Position
  
  
• Highlight Link (Hudl, YouTube, etc.)
  
  
• Short response: “Why I should be the Next Level Athlete of the Year.”
  
  
• Photo upload (headshot or action shot)
  
  

5. Selection Process

• Eligible submissions will be reviewed by the NLS team.
  
  
• A select number of athletes (16, 32, or 64 depending on entries) will be placed into a bracket-style tournament.
  
  
• Matchups will be decided randomly and announced via the Next Level Sports Instagram and X (Twitter) pages.
  
  
• Public voting will determine who advances each round.
  
  
• One (1) winner will be crowned the Next Level Athlete of the Year based on total votes in the final round.
  
  

6. Voting Rules

• Voting will take place on Instagram Stories and X (Twitter) polls managed by Next Level Sports.
  
  
• Each account may vote once per platform per matchup.
  
  
• Any attempts to use fake accounts, bots, or vote manipulation will result in immediate disqualification.
  
  
• Votes will be tallied and verified by the NLS staff at the end of each round.
  
  

7. Prize

• The winner will receive a $500 scholarship, issued during their senior year of high school.
  
  
• The scholarship may be used for college application fees, athletic training, travel, recruiting events, or school-related expenses.
  
  
• The winner will also be featured on the NLS website, blog, and social media pages as the official Athlete of the Year.
  
  

8. Winner Announcement

• The winner will be announced publicly on NLS social media channels and the NLS website on 1/5/26.
  
  
• The winner (and their parent/guardian if under 18) will be contacted directly via email for prize coordination.
  
  

9. Rights & Permissions

By entering, participants grant Next Level Sports the right to use their name, photo, highlights, and submitted materials for promotional purposes (social media, website, press releases, etc.) without additional compensation.

10. General Conditions

• Next Level Sports reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the contest at any time if technical issues, fraud, or other causes affect the fairness or integrity of the competition.
  
  
• All decisions made by Next Level Sports are final.
  
  
• The $500 scholarship has no cash alternative and is non-transferable.
  
  

11. Contact Information

For any questions regarding the contest, eligibility, or voting process, please contact: 📧nlevelsports08@gmail.com 🌐 www.nlevelsports.net