NIL money is changing how young athletes grow up—fast. This video explores the pressure, responsibility, and life lessons that come with earning real money early, from managing fame and finances to learning maturity before most students even graduate.
NEWELL, Iowa — The streets of Newell and Fonda are quiet. Rural decline has taken a toll on these northwest Iowa towns, with main street storefronts shuttered and vacant houses scattered here and there.
A sign on the edge of town welcomes visitors to Newell, Iowa, Jan. 6.
Marie Breon, center, poses for a photo with her granddaughter, Andrea Vanderhoff, left, and great-granddaughter, Madelyn Vanderhoff, right, after a Newell-Fonda high school girls basketball game against Storm Lake, Jan. 6, in Newell, Iowa.
Newell-Fonda's Rylee Hogrefe (32) fights for the ball with Storm Lake's Grace Kinkel (21) during a high school girls basketball game, Jan. 6, in Newell, Iowa.
Marie Breon, center, poses for a photo with her granddaughter, Andrea Vanderhoff, left, and great-granddaughter, Madelyn Vanderhoff, right, after a Newell-Fonda high school girls basketball game against Storm Lake, Jan. 6, in Newell, Iowa.
Newell-Fonda's Rylee Hogrefe (32) fights for the ball with Storm Lake's Grace Kinkel (21) during a high school girls basketball game, Jan. 6, in Newell, Iowa.
