Nationwide — What do you do when your child has the chance to earn a Division 1 scholarship? Askia Taylor answered this question when she helped her son navigate the high-stakes Division 1 recruiting process and built a brand and platform called The Future of D1 to help others do the same.
“Our mission is to fuel, ignite and inspire amateur athletes and the people who support them in their pursuit of playing college sports,” said Askia Taylor, Founder and CEO of The Future of D1.
“When my son received his first offer, I had no idea what the next steps were. We were excited but we didn’t know what to do next,” said Taylor, a single mother of three boys. “I didn’t know anything about the NCAA organizationally so I went to their website and read their ‘Consolidated Financial Statement’. They’re astronomical. I was shook. Those numbers changed everything.”
The Future of D1 was formally launched as a sports content company in 2017, having really taken hold since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s current offering includes their main website – TheFutureofD1.com – where athletes can create profiles (the brand shares submissions on their social media channels) – The Future of D1 Courses – which has seen a 1,312% uptick in traffic since March; a podcast – The Future of Division 1 – an unapologetic look at the college recruiting process featuring discussions with college and professional athletes, trainers, and coaches.
“I wanted to give student-athletes the opportunity to engage in the process and proclaim ownership of their experience in it,” she added. “Anyone who competes at a high level must believe in themselves first and foremost and have a support system to back them up.”
With a professional background in advertising and marketing, Taylor saw an opportunity in the apparel category and launched two collections in August offering trendy clothes for kids who love to play including infant rompers, toddler and kids t-shirts, and the brand’s affirmation “I AM the Future of D1”, for adults a high-end take on athletic wardrobe staples for the flyest, the fittest and the fastest on and off the field’ featuring coordinated crewneck sweatshirts and t-shirts, ranging in color from grey and navy blue to mauve and longhorn orange.
Follow the brand on social media:
Facebook – @thefutureofd1
Instagram – @thefutureofd1
Twitter – @thefutureofd1
The Future of D1 is gaining market traction from a fast-growing audience, with feedback coming “from all facets of the recruiting process (that) has been immensely positive!” Taylor said. “We’ve had a lot of interest from other professionals wanting to get in behind-the-scenes.”
If Taylor has her way, the little start-up will grow into an industry powerhouse.
“Our ultimate goal is to build and leverage the first Black-owned brand, sports content company and social movement for athletes,” she said. “With parents looking for ways to pay college tuition, athletes (and parents) looking for ways to improve their chances of earning a D1 scholarship, the future of our company is so bright!”
For press inquiries, contact info@thefutureofd1.com