When I created the seven principles for life beyond sports, I knew financial literacy had to be one of them. As athletes, we spend years focused on performance, getting stronger, getting faster, mastering our sport.
But very early in my career, I realized something that’s just as important: if you don’t understand how money works, it becomes tough to build the life you want to have.
Financial literacy isn’t about becoming a financial expert or trying to predict the market. It’s about learning, asking questions, understanding your options, and recognizing how the decisions you make today can create opportunity later.
Start as Early as Possible
Today’s athletes have earning opportunities earlier than ever before. High school and college players can benefit from NIL deals, partnerships, youth training sessions, small camps, or personal branding opportunities that didn’t exist before.
Those opportunities can turn into real income. And when managed well, they can open doors:
- Graduating from college without debt
- Building real savings
- Understanding how to use money to create freedom, not pressure
It’s not just the superstar athlete who benefits from financial literacy. It’s anyone who earns, even a little, while playing the sport they love.
What matters most isn’t how much you make, but what you do with what you have.
The Financial Power of Having a Choice
Over the years, I’ve seen athletes step away from the game earlier than expected, on their own terms, because they made thoughtful financial decisions. I once saw a player retire after nine years. He could’ve continued playing, but he had the freedom to decide what he wanted next because he handled his finances wisely.
That’s what financial literacy gives you: choice.
Choice in your career.
Choice in your lifestyle.
Choice in your next chapter.
When you understand money, you act from intention, not urgency. You plan instead of reacting. You build instead of chasing.
Where my Financial Education Started
My own financial education came through trial and error. I was fortunate enough to meet people early in my career who guided me and helped me understand the basics. But I still had to be willing to learn.
That meant:
- Asking questions even when I felt unsure
- Seeking information and reading
- Being honest about what I didn’t understand
- Taking advice from people who knew more than I did
Most importantly, I learned not to rush. If I didn’t fully understand an investment, a partnership, or an opportunity, I learned to say, “Not yet.”
That simple discipline saved me from many mistakes. Sometimes the best financial decision is patience.
Two Common Financial Traps Athletes Face
- Peer Pressure
There’s pressure to keep up: the cars, the clothes, the trips, the lifestyle. There’s also pressure to say yes, to help everyone who asks.
But the truth is this: If you don’t know your own goals, you’ll get pulled into someone else’s.
Staying grounded in what you want your future to look like is the only way to avoid financial choices that feel good in the moment but hurt you in the long term.
- Not Understanding the Power of Compounding
When you invest early, even small amounts, you give your money time to grow. That growth builds on itself year after year. Once you experience compounding, you understand why long-term thinking matters.
It changes the way you view spending. A purchase that feels exciting now can take away from the freedom you want later. Compounding is quiet and slow, but it is one of the strongest tools a young athlete has.
Books that Influenced my Financial Mindset
These are a few books that helped shape my approach to money:
Rich Dad Poor Dad — Robert Kiyosaki
The first book that made financial concepts simple for me. It helped me understand assets, liabilities, and the mindset behind building financial independence.
The Intelligent Investor — Benjamin Graham
A more advanced read, but full of timeless principles, discipline, patience, value investing, and how to make decisions without letting emotion lead.
Financial Literacy for All — John Hope Bryant
A modern, approachable guide to understanding money in today’s world. Great for anyone who feels like they “don’t know what they don’t know.”
Habits that Create Stability
Financial literacy is built on more than one big decision; it comes from consistent habits like…
- Budgeting: Even the wealthiest people have budgets and parameters
- Set goals: Know exactly what you’re working toward
- Ask for help: Lean on advisors, accountants, and mentors
- Stay curious: Keep learning and asking questions
- Saying “Not yet”: Don’t make decisions before you’re informed
These habits create freedom, freedom to choose what’s next, to pivot, to build a life YOU want to create.
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