Playa Power workshops giving athletes digital education to bankroll careers

Engaging on social media and being digitally savvy is as important to an athlete’s long term success as what they do in the heat of competition according to an industry expert in Australia to educate athletes.

Rower Chad Willet with Olympic great and backer of Playa Power workshops Nat Cook.

It may irk the traditionalists, yet Robert Burke, a former global executive at Nike, believes uploading an Instagram post is almost as important as that extra training session for young athletes.

“In today’s digital age, an athlete’s personal brand is just as crucial as their performance in competition,” Burke says.

“Branding extends an athlete’s influence beyond the field or court, opening doors to new opportunities, from endorsements to speaking engagements and more.”

Far from frivolous vanity, for many athletes today a proactive approach to creating their own brand via social media can be the difference between sporting dreams being financially viable or placed on the scrapheap. Last month Olympic hurdler Liz Clay told CODE Sports how harnessing the power of social media took her from working in retail to the life of a fully-fledged professional athlete.

This week Burke, who worked as Nike’s Director of Global Moments & Athlete Experience alongside icons like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carl Lewis, Harry Kane, Cathy Freeman and Shane Warne, is the headline speaker for a series of free workshops for athletes across the east coast of Australia.

The organisation behind the innovative way to assist athletes realise their commercial potential is Playa Power, a collective that aims to provide the tools for athletes at any stage of their career to take control of their financial destiny through the social media influencer market.

Playa Power, founded by industry expert Ben Parsons and backed by Olympic Gold Medallist Nat Cook, plans to work directly with athletes in giving them access to industry experts to unlock commercial opportunities to make the long grind to the top manageable.

Ben Parsons, founder of Playa Power, with Olympic Gold Medallist Nat Cook, rower Chad Willet, Olympic bobsledder Sarah Blizzard, David Bruhn and Robert Burke.

Burke says the earlier an athlete understands the importance of these tools, the better.

“One of the most common mistakes I see is athletes not starting early enough. Personal branding is a long-term investment and starting early in one’s career can set the stage for future success.”

He says the idea that social media and personally-driven publicity is a distraction to athletes is an archaic belief.

“Many athletes underutilize social media platforms or fail to engage consistently with their audience, missing out on building stronger connections.”

Along with the sessions with Burke, the workshops will also include segments on learning potential via social media and digital marketing, and brand development for individual athletes.

Burke says athletes can also expect a preview of a future where they will be empowered by embracing the digital world.

“The future of athlete branding is likely to be heavily influenced by advancements in digital technology, including augmented and virtual reality, which will create new ways for athletes to engage with fans.”

Playa Power’s free Athlete Influencer Workshops

Monday 13th May, 6-8pm: Event Cinemas, 505-525 George Street, Sydney.

Tuesday 14th May, 6-8pm: Marvel Stadium, Gate 6, Danvers Room, 740 Bourke Street, Docklands Victoria.

Wednesday 15th May, 6-8pm: Traralgon Bowls Club, 50 Liddiard Rd, Traralgon.

Thursday 16th May, 7-9pm: Australian Motorsport Innovation Precinct, Gate 1 – Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek.

Athletes can register at playapower.com/workshops

Originally published as Playa Power workshops giving athletes digital education to bankroll careers