104: From Talent to Asset – The Real Business of Sports Management

How Modern Sports Management Really Works for Young Athletes

In this episode of Brain in the Game, Dave Diggle sits down with Kym Cheeseman from Athlete Brand Academy to unpack the real business behind modern sport – and why young athletes and their parents need to understand it long before contracts, sponsorships or media opportunities arrive.

Whether your athlete is in a pathways, collegiate or feeder program, whether they play a TV-broadcast sport or a niche discipline, this episode breaks down the essential commercial, personal and developmental factors that turn raw talent into a long-term asset.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why today’s young athletes need both a performance pathway and a business pathway
  
• The rise of tipping-point parents and why education is the missing link
  
• Personal branding for athletes aged 15–20 – and why authenticity matters more than aesthetics
  
• The difference between an agent and a manager (and how to choose the right one)
  
• Why sponsorship is not a donation, and how athletes can deliver true ROI
  
• The pitfalls of having no Plan B and navigating early retirement through injury
  
• How US, UK and Australian systems shape athlete mindset and opportunity
  
• The psychological load parents carry when left out of the communication loop
  
• The commercial future of women’s sport and why female athletes are often more sponsor-ready
  
• The culture of self-belief, arrogance, tall-poppy syndrome and the underdog mindset in sport
  

This episode is a must-listen for:

• Parents of athletes aged 15–20 navigating high-performance pathways
  
• Young athletes stepping into elite, collegiate, semi-pro or pro environments
  
• Coaches who want better relationships with athletes and their parents
  
• Anyone curious about the business ecosystem surrounding modern sport
  

Because sport is no longer just sport.

It’s contracts, media, sponsorship, lifestyle, security, money, identity, reputation, wellbeing and longevity – and it begins far earlier than most realise.

Modern sports management isn’t just about who plays on the weekend.

It’s about how an athlete understands themselves, represents themselves, and builds a viable future – on and off the field.

Rather watch the video? You will find it here: https://youtu.be/hOAFWLizAkQ?si=sNcbkfxTlIYSvttm

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Athlete Brand Academy – Kym Cheeseman: https://www.athletebrandacademy.com.au/
  
• Work with Dave Diggle – High Performance Sports Mind Coach: https://www.smartmind.com/
  
• Subscribe to Brain in the Game on your favourite platform