Coach Norman Bechtel, widely recognized as Coach Norm, is a distinguished youth football coach based in Pasadena, MD. He serves as the Head Coach for the 10U team at Panthers Athletic Club, having guided his team since they were at the 7U level, advancing together each year. Coach Norm is dedicated to year-round training, focusing on fundamentals, speed and agility, and enhancing players' understanding of the game.
In addition to his work with his team, he collaborates with athletes from various teams in the area, including both youth and high school players, to help them develop their skills and expand their knowledge of football. Coach Norman Bechtel said no matter what he could not do any of this without his assistant coaches Tim, Keith, Matt, Jon, Eric, Nik, and Chad their time and dedication to the team is incredible. The support of Panthers Athletic Club, and the guidance from his commissioner Fred. It takes a village and we have a great one.
Operating primarily out of Maryland, Coach Norm is also active in other states, coaching All-Star games and participating in youth and high school combines in locations such as Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia. Notable events he has been involved with include the EA Top 100 in Delaware, Da Beast in Virginia, BK Classic in Pennsylvania, and Glazier events in Baltimore and Washington D.C., as well as the You Are Athlete event in Maryland.
Coach Norm possesses a keen understanding of social media and its role in promoting athletes. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging social media positively, drawing from his experience working with NFL Running Back Gus Edwards.
Coach Norm began his coaching career in 2020 when his son, Trey Bechtel, was old enough to play football. Since then, he has remained committed to providing his athletes with the best possible knowledge for both their athletic development and social media presence as they mature. His expertise has attracted athletes nationwide seeking advice on brand growth and development.
To maximize their presence during their "athletic window," athletes must excel not only in their sport but also in cultivating a strong social media presence. Building a dedicated fanbase on social media is crucial for ensuring future opportunities and enhancing their career value. Fans increasingly seek direct connections with athletes rather than with teams, organizations, or leagues. This trend aligns with sponsor expectations, as they prioritize athletes with active and engaged social media followings.
An engaged social media audience significantly enhances an athlete's visibility. As Coach Norm emphasizes, while opportunities can be facilitated, it is ultimately the athlete's professionalism, work ethic, and performance that determine success. A robust social media presence can open doors during an athlete's career, making it essential to develop and maintain a personal brand that evolves alongside their athletic journey. By actively engaging on social media, athletes not only advance their own careers but also benefit their teams, leagues, and sponsors by expanding their reach. This dynamic is advantageous for fans as well, creating a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Where to Begin? Athletes as Active Social Media Participants
In today's digital age, social media is an integral part of daily life for individuals across the globe. These platforms serve as essential tools for staying connected with friends, accessing the latest news and trends, and engaging with previously inaccessible public figures. Social media provides a unique opportunity to follow the lives of beloved sports personalities, with Generation Z, in particular, spending up to eight hours a day scrolling through their feeds.
Athletes are no exception to this trend. Increasingly, they are digital natives who engage with social media daily. It is imperative for sports organizations to recognize this shift and actively support athletes in developing their personal brands on these platforms.
Globally, millions of fans are eager to follow their favorite athletes, often more so than their preferred sports teams. For athletes, maintaining a consistent and authentic presence on social media is crucial. By sharing regular insights into their lives and engaging with their audience through original content, athletes can significantly enhance their value, and opportunities.
The positive impact of an athlete's social media presence naturally extends to their team or league. Sports organizations benefit from increased fan engagement, which translates into greater loyalty, and brand value for partners. For player relations and marketing teams, supporting athletes' social media endeavors is now essential. It represents one of the most effective ways to strengthen relationships with athletes and drive growth.
Maximizing the social media presence of athletes offers significant advantages, both for the athletes themselves and for the organizations they represent. Here, we delve into the primary benefits of fostering athletes' social media engagement and provide essential tips for optimizing these efforts.
The Strategic Value of Athletes' Social Media Presence
Supporting athletes in developing professional social media accounts yields numerous benefits. Below are some of the most compelling reasons to prioritize athletes' social media engagement.
Enhancing Personal and Organizational Branding
For athletes at any stage of their careers, a well-managed social media presence is instrumental in cultivating a robust personal brand. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook serve as digital extensions of an athlete's persona, allowing them to showcase their values, share insights, and offer a behind-the-scenes look into their lives. This authenticity fosters meaningful connections with fans and audiences, enhancing the athlete's public image and attracting sponsorships and endorsement opportunities. Simultaneously, these efforts contribute positively to the organization's brand.
Boosting Awareness for Leagues and Teams
Athletes who are active on social media significantly amplify the visibility and brand value of their teams and leagues. This increased engagement benefits not only the sports organizations but also their sponsors and broadcast partners. By leveraging social media, athletes and teams can extend their reach globally, driving ticket sales, merchandise revenue, and other business opportunities. This strategic approach mirrors the methods used by businesses to promote their products and services, underscoring the importance of social media in the sports industry.
A social media account provides athletes with a powerful platform to discuss a wide range of topics, from their sporting achievements and team successes to their training routines and charitable endeavors. This engagement can significantly enhance the visibility of leagues and teams, distinguishing them from competitors. Moreover, it can attract the attention of investors and potential partners while fostering brand loyalty among younger fans.
Enhancing Fan Engagement with Players' Daily LivesFans are essential to sustained success in sports, particularly among Gen Z audiences. When athletes maintain a consistent social media presence, they can quickly amass thousands or even millions of dedicated followers eager to follow the latest developments of their favorite players and teams. Notably, athletes' social media accounts often have a far greater reach than the official channels of sports organizations. As an athlete's popularity grows, they can attract a global fan base that actively supports and engages with your team or league.
Supporting Recruitment EffortsSocial media is also a valuable tool for recruiting talented young athletes at the beginning of their careers. By providing athletes with personalized, high-quality photos and videos, teams and leagues create a self-sustaining cycle of support. Athletes who become influential social media figures can give your. organization a competitive edge in recruiting other top-tier players who are eager to build their own strong brands. These standout athletes appreciate the support they receive from teams that actively assist them in achieving their goals. In return, they are more inclined to help your organization achieve its business objectives.
10 Tips To Support Athletes for Social Media Success
To start optimizing social media accounts as an essential part of an athlete’s growth, below are 10 top tips they should follow.
Since athletes have many demands on their time, sports marketing and player relations teams can bolster these activities. They can do this through personalized communications and conversations with their players to help them make the most of their social media efforts.
1. Think about how you want to define your personal brand.
2. Find the best social platform for your brand, audience and the content you want to share.
3. Look at what other athletes you admire are doing on social media to reach their followers.
4. Interact with your fan base (and even teammates) as much as possible.
5. Set realistic goals you want to achieve from your social media use.
6. Ask for help to manage posts through publicists, agents, etc.
7. Check social analytics for what content resonates (e.g., rates for comments, likes & shares).
8. Be consistent with posts to grow an audience so they know when to seek your new content.
9. Be authentic — post original media and share your unique stories and commentaries.
10. Create content you think will be interesting and engaging to fans — and do your research.
There are plenty of sports marketing examples that show how effective social media can be for players.
Social Media for Young Athletes Is a Win
In conclusion, social media is an extremely effective tool for young athletes and seasoned pros alike to increase their followers and popularity. Any athlete can quickly build a brand for themselves by utilizing growth tools and creating engaging content. And those strong personal profiles can quickly lift their organizations to new heights.
With an effective content strategy plan in place, athletes’ social media accounts can help them land more lucrative brand endorsements and contracts. They can also help them enhance their reputations as elite athletes.
Today, having a social media account is extremely important for any athlete. When they use the right tools to amplify their voice and expand their fanbase, any athlete — and their team or league — can reap the rewards.
You can follow along with Coach Norman Bechtel on Instagram @CoachNorm024.
