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

(Maximum Annual Value: $100 • Maximum Lifetime Value: $500)

1. Scholarship Value Structure
    •    Athletes earn $100 in scholarship credit for each year they have worked with or trained under Next Level Sports.
    •    Eligible years must be consecutive and verifiable.
    •    Maximum lifetime scholarship value is $500.

2. Lifetime Maximum
    •    No athlete may receive more than $500 total in scholarships, credits, reimbursements, or services from NLS.

3. One Redemption per Year of Eligibility
    •    Each verified year grants one $100 credit, redeemable once.
    •    Unverified, partial, or skipped years do not earn credit.

4. Pre-Approval Requirement
    •    All scholarship usage must be submitted to NLS for review and approval before funds are released.
    •    Requests must include the service, cost, and intended date of use.
    •    No funds are released without written approval.

5. Approved Uses of Scholarship Funds
    •    Scholarship funds may only be used for the following:
    •    College-related purposes, including admissions fees, academic evaluations, application costs, transcripts, or related support.
    •    Camps, showcases, tournaments, combines, or events tied directly to an athlete’s recruiting process.
    •    Recruiting-related needs, such as verified travel, exposure events, profile development, or athlete marketing—as deemed necessary by NLS on an athlete-by-athlete basis.
    •    NLS maintains sole discretion in determining whether a request qualifies as a college or recruiting-related need.
    •    Non-approved uses will be automatically denied.

6. Non-Transferable
    •    Scholarship credits cannot be transferred, sold, gifted, or shared.
    •    Any transfer attempt voids the award.

7. No Cash Payouts Beyond Earned Value
    •    Scholarship credits may only be applied to eligible NLS-approved services and cannot exceed the athlete’s earned amount.

8. No Stacking or Combining
    •    The scholarship cannot be combined with:
    •    Other NLS scholarships
    •    Discounts or promotions
    •    Referral bonuses
    •    Team or organization deals
    •    Adjustments will be made to ensure the athlete never receives more than $100 per year or $500 total.

9. No Substitution of Higher-Value Services
    •    Athletes may only redeem services that fall within their available balance.
    •    Scholarship funds cannot be used to offset higher-cost services.

10. Partial Redemption Rules
    •    Unused portions of the $100 annual credit do not roll over.
    •    NLS does not replace or increase unused funds.

11. No Refunds or Exchanges
    •    Services redeemed using scholarship funds are final and non-refundable.
    •    Refunds or substitutions cannot increase the total scholarship value.

12. Verification Requirements
    •    NLS may require proof of participation, engagement, or year-by-year involvement.
    •    Unverified years do not earn credit.

13. NLS Final Authority
    •    NLS reserves the sole right to approve, deny, modify, or revoke scholarship usage.
    •    Any request that would exceed the athlete’s yearly or lifetime maximum will be rejected.
    •    All NLS decisions are final.

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