Register for the Athlete Career Experience (ACE):

https://forms.gle/xAcaD2qgnkFu6zVVA

Student-athletes… if you’re trying to figure out what comes next after sports, this video is for you.

The Athlete Career Experience (ACE) is a new opportunity happening at the 2026 Player Development Summit in Detroit in partnership with Northwestern Mutual – Metro Detroit.

This is not just a networking event.

This is a real hiring and career opportunity designed specifically for student-athletes and recent graduates interested in business, leadership, and financial services.

Northwestern Mutual leadership, directors, and talent acquisition staff will all be in the room and conducting interviews during the experience.

Athletes selected for ACE will receive:

• Professional headshots

• Career and leadership development

• Networking opportunities

• On-site interviews and career conversations

• Access to professionals actively looking to hire athletes

WHO SHOULD APPLY:

• Juniors

• Seniors

• Recent graduates

• Athletes interested in business, leadership, sales, or financial services

• Athletes interested in living and working in Detroit

🚨 SPOTS ARE LIMITED 🚨

This is an intentionally curated experience, and we are only selecting a small group of athletes for the room.

If you are serious about your future and looking for a real opportunity after sports, apply now.

EVENT DETAILS:

📍 Industry Innovation Center

461 Burroughs Street

Detroit, Michigan 48202

📅 Friday, May 29, 2026

🕘 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

If you are a coach, parent, administrator, or player development professional, please share this video with athletes who should be in this room.

Too many athletes finish sports without a clear next step.

We want to help change that.

#NorthwesternMutual

#NorthwesternMutualMetroDetroit

#StudentAthleteCareerJourney

#AthleteHiringAthletes

#AthletesLookingForJobs

#AthleteCareers

#StudentAthlete

#CareerDevelopment

#AthleteTransition

#PlayerDevelopment

#BeyondTheField

#Detroit

#SportsIndustry

Recently, I had the opportunity to work directly with the Iowa State Football Player Development staff, leading a full workshop on the Beyond Player Development Model.

In this episode, I break down exactly what we did, what I observed, and what changed after implementing the framework.

One of the biggest challenges in player development today is not effort.

It is lack of structure.

Programs are doing a lot, but it is disconnected.

This episode walks through how to bring everything under one system that creates clarity, consistency, and long-term impact.

You will hear directly from:

Leon Douglas, Director of Player Development at Iowa State

Alec Cook, Assistant Player Development

And how this framework helped them:

Identify gaps

Build alignment

Strengthen their approach to athlete development

If you are an Athletic Director, coach, or player development professional, this episode will challenge how you think about your current structure.

If you are looking to bring this system to your program:

Fill out the interest form here: https://forms.gle/hjrmy6KSRpobfcWG8

Or email: edward@btfprogram.com

As always, go out and create generational impact.

-

After 10 years in player development, I finally figured it out.

It was never about doing more.

It was never about better programming.

It was about having a system.

In this episode, I break down the BEYOND Player Development Model, a framework designed to bring clarity to one of the most misunderstood roles in sports.

If you have ever struggled to explain player development to coaches, administrators, or athletes, this episode will give you the structure you need.

🔑 IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Why player development feels confusing even when you are doing great work

The biggest mistake I made early in my career

How to organize everything you do into one clear system

The six pillars of the BEYOND Model:

Belonging

Education

Your Purpose

Opportunities

Navigation

Development Systems

How to identify strengths and gaps in your current program

💡 KEY TAKEAWAY

Player development does not have a programming problem.

It has a structure problem.

Once you fix the structure, everything else becomes clearer and more impactful.

TAKE ACTION

Ask yourself:

Which pillar is strongest in your program

Which pillar needs the most work

That gap is where your growth is.

CONNECT

If you are serious about building a player development system that creates real impact:

Email: edward@btfprogram.com

SHARE

If this episode gave you clarity, share it with someone in your department or network who needs it.