// For Verified Athletes

Your Story Deserves a Home.

You do not need to be famous. You do not need a championship. You do not need a perfect story. You just need a real one.

Submit Your Story
Simple Story Structure

If you are stuck, use this structure.

01

Start With the Moment

Begin with a specific scene. Example: I still remember walking into the locker room before my first college game.

02

Explain Why It Mattered

Tell the reader why that moment stayed with you.

03

Share the Struggle

Be honest about what was hard, confusing, painful, or uncertain.

04

Share What Changed

Explain what you learned or how you grew.

05

End With Reflection

Close with what the story means to you now.

Recommended Length

500 to 1,200 words

Tone

Sound like you — honest, clear, real

10 Story Prompts
01

My Beginning

Tell fans how your journey started.

Questions to consider

  • When did you first fall in love with your sport?
  • Who introduced you to the game?
  • What was your first team like?
  • What did sports give you as a young athlete?
  • When did you realize this sport mattered to you?

Possible title

"How I Found My Game"

02

The Moment That Changed Me

Write about a turning point.

Questions to consider

  • Was there a game, injury, coach, loss, win, or conversation that changed your path?
  • What did you believe before that moment?
  • What did you understand afterward?
  • How did it shape who you became?

Possible title

"The Moment That Changed Everything"

03

Injury and Recovery

If injury is part of your journey.

Questions to consider

  • What happened?
  • What was the hardest part physically? Mentally?
  • Who helped you through it?
  • What did recovery teach you?
  • How did it change your relationship with your sport?

Possible title

"What Injury Taught Me"

04

Leadership

If you have served as a captain, veteran, mentor, or role model.

Questions to consider

  • What does leadership mean to you?
  • Who taught you how to lead?
  • What is hard about being a leader?
  • What do younger athletes need to hear?
  • What do you hope teammates remember about you?

Possible title

"What I Learned About Leadership"

05

The Season I'll Never Forget

Reflect on a meaningful season.

Questions to consider

  • What made that season different?
  • What was happening behind the scenes?
  • What did the team overcome?
  • What did you personally learn?
  • Why does that season still matter?

Possible title

"The Season That Stayed With Me"

06

Life Beyond the Scoreboard

About identity, school, family, work, pressure, or life outside competition.

Questions to consider

  • What do fans not see?
  • What responsibilities do you balance?
  • What sacrifices have you made?
  • What pressure do athletes carry quietly?
  • What part of your life shaped your athletic journey?

Possible title

"What Fans Don't See"

07

Retirement and Transition

If you are retired, former collegiate, or no longer competing.

Questions to consider

  • When did you know it was time to stop playing?
  • What was hard about the transition?
  • What do you miss? What did sport give you?
  • Who are you becoming now?
  • What would you tell athletes approaching the end of competition?

Possible title

"After the Final Whistle"

08

Advice to My Younger Self

Reflective and personal.

Questions to consider

  • What did younger you need to hear?
  • What were you wrong about?
  • What would you tell a young athlete today?
  • What should athletes stop worrying about? What should they protect?

Possible title

"What I Wish I Knew Then"

09

Why I Still Love This Game

Positive, simple, fan-friendly.

Questions to consider

  • What keeps you connected to your sport?
  • What moments still give you joy?
  • What does the game mean to you now?
  • Why should fans care about your sport?

Possible title

"Why I Still Love This Game"

10

The Person Who Changed My Journey

Honor someone important.

Questions to consider

  • Who helped shape your athletic path?
  • What did they teach you?
  • What did they believe about you before you believed it yourself?
  • How did they change your career or life?

Possible title

"The Person Who Believed in Me"

Before You Submit

Things to Avoid

  • Sharing private information about others without permission
  • Making unsupported accusations
  • Sharing confidential team information
  • Violating school, league, NIL, or employment policies
  • Submitting content you do not own
  • Copying someone else's work

Ask Yourself

  • Is this my story to tell?
  • Am I comfortable with this being public?
  • Does this reflect my voice?
  • Have I avoided private information about others?
  • Does this follow my school, team, league, or governing body rules?

Your story does not have to be dramatic to matter.

A quiet story can matter. A small moment can matter. A lesson learned in practice can matter. A retired athlete's reflection can matter. USN was built because every athlete deserves more than a highlight reel.

Submit Your Story