ZIONSVILLE — We are officially in the Personal Branding Activity era of Indiana high school athletics and Westfield volleyball player Carsyn Comer made history this week, becoming one of the first Central Indiana athletes to take advantage of the recent IHSAA ruling, which allows players to profit from their name, image and likeness.
Comer, a 6-3 middle blocker and the No. 1 ranked player in her class, is collaborating with MyPlayer Next on a limited-edition line of apparel that includes t-shirts, sweaters and hoodies featuring the Louisville commit’s name, image and signature.
According to its website, MyPlayer Next is a team merch and fundraising platform that helps schools create custom apparel collections personalized to each individual athlete. The company was founded by a former college wrestler and works with both individual athletes and single teams.
Zionsville grad Elli Strecker, now a freshman middle blocker at Louisville, and current Chesterton senior Luca Bombacino, a Michigan commit, have also partnered with MyPlayer Next. Bombacino’s collection launched earlier this week.
Comer was familiar with MyPlayer Next and considered reaching out to them earlier this summer, but never did. Around 2-3 weeks ago, the company contacted her on Instagram to see if she would be interested in collaborating.
“That was pretty cool,” Comer said.
MyPlayer Next’s deal with Comer (and Bombacino) was made possible by a recent ruling by the IHSAA board of directors that allows athletes to utilize their NIL as long as they are not depicting any affiliation with a member school — or using school facilities or property — in association with receiving PBA compensation.
Comer and her parents took a few weeks to review the contract and meet with the Westfield athletic directors for approval. They also spoke briefly with Randy Fisher, a Westfield-based football agent whose daughter, Alex Fisher, is a junior right side for the Rocks, and plan to meet with him again next week.
“We had a meeting with him, because I don’t really know what’s going on,” Comer said. “It’s all so new.”
Comer signed her contract with MyPlayer Next about a week ago and began designing her apparel, selecting from an assortment of styles and designs, all in red-and-black (Louisville’s school colors). She was allowed to make changes, but: “I loved the first thing they gave me, so I stuck with the first one.”
“They’re amazing at making sure it’s what I want,” Comer said. “It is my merch, but they’re very good at making sure it’s everything I want, making me feel comfortable and letting me know I can do whatever I want with it.”
MyPlayer Next launched Comer’s collection Thursday on Instagram and their website (search Carsyn Comer).
As for other potential deals and collaborations, Comer has reached out to “a few companies,” but most only do ambassador deals with college students.
“That’s been a little frustrating, but I understand,” she said.
“I’ve just been emailing. It’s not my main priority, obviously. I’m focused on the school season right now and hopefully getting to state and everything, but I have sent a few emails.”
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Westfield volleyball player signs Personal Branding deal with apparel company
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