Dallas Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd has joined the Board of Directors of Minnesota-based Prep Network, a youth sports platform focused on live events, subscription content and college sports recruiting.
The announcement comes on the heels of Prep Network’s strategic partnership with investment firm Maple Park Capital Partners in September to bolster Prep Network’s push to expand its platform and innovate. Kidd is an operating advisor at Maple Park, which is based in Dallas and New York.
And it comes at an inflection point for youth sports nationwide. In basketball specifically, prominent figures like Milwaukee Bucks Coach Doc Rivers have criticized the infrastructure of high-profile summer-league basketball, saying American-born players are focusing on playing too many games while European players are emphasizing practices. The last seven NBA MVPs were foreign-born players.
What’s more, the five-year-old NIL era has created both unprecedented opportunities for college athletes to monetize their brands. It’s also produced a challenging landscape of predatory contracts and other potential pitfalls. NIL attorneys say that education and guidance is critical, starting well before athletes begin college.
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“Prep Network has built a platform designed to meet athletes where they are on their athletic journey, offering the tools and exposure required to advance their development,” Kidd said in a statement. “The company’s focus on establishing meaningful and positive pathways for development, from competition and evaluation to reliable guidance for families and coaches, strongly aligns with my vision for the future of youth athletics.”
In addition to his more than 30-year NBA playing and coaching career, Kidd is also the founder of the Jason Kidd Foundation, which aims to empower youth through access to sports and education. The foundation, whose roots date back to 1999, was relaunched in 2020 to expand its reach.
It has created programs such as JK Select Girls Basketball, which has grown significantly since its inception in 2021. Kidd had a goal of using sports to empower and create equality for young women, while preparing them for college and life’s challenges.
Kidd this month launched JK Select Baseball, a nationwide youth baseball program that will provide access to high-level development, mentorship and competitive opportunities for young athletes nationwide.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jason to the Prep Network Board,” Jake Phillips and Nick Carroll, co-founders of Prep Network, said in a statement. “He has spent his career competing and coaching at the highest level and, just as importantly, building programs that create opportunities out of reach for many young athletes. Jason understands firsthand the impact that access, structure, and visibility can have on a youth’s athletic journey and shares our objective of helping players at every level achieve their goals.”
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