LEVEL UP
Strong Minds. Smart Money. Strong Futures.
Date: Saturday, May 16th | Time: 8:30am-1:30pm
Location: Boys & Girls Club, 5616 Fox Road Raleigh, NC 27616
What This Is
Level Up is a high-impact, athlete-centered experience designed specifically for high school athletes navigating the pressures of competition, college recruiting, and growing up in today's complex landscape.
This isn't a lecture series. It's a day built around the questions you're actually asking and the challenges you're really facing.
Built For You: High school athletes, families, coaches, and trusted mentors who want real conversations and practical tools
Focused on What Matters: Mindset, money literacy, mental wellness, and building your identity beyond the game.
Interactive & Real: Expert panels, breakout sessions, peer conversations, and community connections you can trust.
WHY IT MATTERS
The Pressure Is Real
Today's athletes face unprecedented pressure that extends far beyond the field. Performance expectations, social media scrutiny, recruiting timelines, NIL opportunities, and academic demands create a complex environment that requires more than athletic talent to navigate successfully.
Decisions Have Impact
Mental health and financial literacy aren't just buzzwords—they're foundational skills that shape your trajectory. The choices you make today about how you handle stress, manage money, and build your support system directly impact your college experience, career options, and long-term well-being.
Families Need Support
Parents and guardians want to help but often lack the language, tools, and resources to address modern athlete challenges. This experience equips families with practical frameworks and community connections.
Preparation Protects Choices
When you understand mental wellness strategies, basic financial literacy, and identity development before crisis moments arrive, you're empowered to make better decisions and access help when you need it.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This experience is designed for the entire athletic community—because supporting young athletes takes a village of informed, engaged people working together.
High School Athletes: All sports, all levels—whether you're varsity, JV, AAU, club, or just getting started. If you compete, this is for you.
College-Bound Athletes: Navigating recruiting, considering NIL opportunities, or preparing for the transition to collegiate athletics and balancing new responsibilities.
Parents & Guardians: Supporting your athlete's journey while managing your own questions about mental health, money decisions, and how to have tough conversations.
Coaches & Mentors: Athletic directors, trainers, youth sport leaders, and anyone who influences young athletes and wants to better support their holistic development.
WHAT YOU WILL EXPERIENCE
A full-day event that balances expert insight with real conversations, structured learning with open dialogue, and individual reflection with community connection.
Real Conversations with
Athletes & Experts
Hear directly from college and professional athletes who've navigated these challenges, plus mental health professionals, financial educators, and youth development specialists.
Dynamic Panel Discussions
Interactive sessions on mindset, money literacy, and life after sports—with plenty of time for your questions and honest dialogue.
Targeted Breakout Sessions
Choose sessions based on your needs and interests—different tracks for athletes, parents, and coaches ensure relevant, age-appropriate content.
Community Resource Connections
Meet local mental health providers, financial counselors, and youth organizations who are ready to support you beyond this one-day event.
Final event details will be shared with registered participants and partners.
CORE FOCUS AREAS
Three interconnected pillars designed to build complete athletes who are prepared for competition, college, career, and life.
Strong Minds
Building confidence under pressure, developing healthy coping strategies, recognizing when to ask for help, and understanding that mental fitness is as important as physical training.
Managing performance anxiety
Building resilience through setbacks
Recognizing signs of burnout
Creating sustainable routines
Smart Money Moves
Understanding NIL basics for college athletes, learning budgeting fundamentals, avoiding common financial traps, and building healthy money habits early.
NIL opportunity landscape
Basic budgeting and saving
Understanding contracts
Avoiding exploitation
The Long Game
Developing identity beyond athletics, cultivating leadership skills, planning for transitions, and understanding that who you become matters more than what you win
Identity beyond sport
Leadership development
Career exploration
Transition planning
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
Level Up isn't about changing who you are as an athlete. It's about equipping you with the mindset, skills, and support to thrive in every arena—on the field, in the classroom, and in life.
Your game is bigger than any single sport. Let's prepare for all of it.
Creating Space for Honest Conversations
Athletes are trained to push through pain, ignore discomfort, and never show weakness. But mental fitness requires different skills: recognizing when you're struggling, asking for help, and building sustainable practices that support long-term well-being.
Normalizing Mental Wellness
When we talk openly about mental health in athletic spaces, we give permission for athletes to prioritize their well-being without fear of being benched, judged, or seen as less competitive.
Connecting Families to Resources
Many families want to support their athlete's mental health but don't know where to start, what language to use, or which resources are trustworthy. We're bridging that gap with vetted local partners and practical tools.
Building Strength Without Stigma
Mental resilience isn't about toughing it out alone—it's about developing healthy coping strategies, recognizing your limits, and knowing when to lean on your support system.
GET INVOLVED
Whether you're an athlete, parent, coach, or community partner, there are multiple ways to engage with Get Serious: The Long Game and help build a stronger, more supported generation of young athletes.
ATTEND
Bring your athlete, your team, or your family. Early registration opens soon with limited capacity to ensure an intimate, impactful experience.
HOST
Interested in bringing this experience to your school, club, or athletic program?We offer customizable versions for specific communities.
PARTNER
Sponsor youth access, provide resources, or contribute expertise. Help us remove financial barriers and expand reach to underserved communities.
Join our mailing list for event updates, mental health resources, and future Get Serious experiences.
This is just the beginning of building a community.
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