Less than one percent of high school student-athletes ever actually go pro. Think about that for a second. That staggering reality leaves a massive gap for countless young athletes once their playing days are done, a gap the youth-operated nonprofit Bigger Than Sports is stepping up to fill, and seriously, this is a game-changer for so many kids.
Beyond the Game: Preparing for Life
Bigger Than Sports, co-founded by Allderdice alumni Ian and Emma Waite, is all about helping high schoolers get ready for life after the final whistle. This organization isn’t just some local club either, it caught national attention, even snagging the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award during the 2025 ESPYs. That’s huge, right?
These folks know that most athletes will never make it to the big leagues. So, they dive right into that tough truth, especially for kids in marginalized areas. They’ve got weekly mentorships and these amazing fireside chats with guest speakers. Ian Waite, the executive director and founder, put it perfectly: “Athletes oftentimes go through their sports career with no one asking them what happens when it’s over. What happens if it was all taken away from you right now?” He added that Bigger Than Sports gives them that crucial space to not only get asked that question but to actually find an answer to it.
Their curriculum, which schools are directly incorporating, focuses on self-discovery and setting goals outside of competitive sports. It’s all about helping these young athletes figure out who they are beyond just being a player and where they want to go once sports isn’t their main gig. As Waite said, they work “week by week with youth mentorship, helping them to find out who they are beyond an athlete and then to find out where they want to go beyond sports.”
NFL Quarterback Will Howard Gets Real
And check this out, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Will Howard, is one of those guest speakers hitting up these fireside chats. He’s seen it all, from high school to Kansas State, and now in the pros. He knows the struggle is real when plans don’t work out.
Howard doesn’t sugarcoat it. He tells these kids straight up that career paths, both in sports and beyond, rarely go exactly as you map them out. He brings his own journey into it: “Coming out of high school, I thought I had this plan developed for what my time at Kansas State was going to look like and then how I was going to transition to the league… There’s always wrenches thrown in it, and you can never really count on things going the way you want it to go.”
His motivation is pure. He’s seen too many teammates left without a plan. “I’ve seen it firsthand so many times with teammates of mine, whether it was high school or after college, you know, that don’t really have a plan and just watching that and seeing it happen live, it makes me want to give back to these younger kids,” Howard explained. That’s a pro taking time to really make a difference, and you gotta respect that.
The Future is Bright
Bigger Than Sports isn’t stopping here. They’re aiming to expand their reach, looking to hit national recognition just like those long-standing giants, the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs. Imagine the impact if every high school athlete got this kind of guidance! It’s a powerful movement, building a future where these kids are set up for success, no matter where life takes them after the final buzzer.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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