She tore her ACL from tennis and constructed a $25,000 a month enterprise

Sammi Ekmark, 29, co-founded personalised greeting and present card firm Ink’d Greetings in 2023 alongside her husband Andrew — a significant pivot from her earlier profession as a star tennis participant.

Ekmark picked up the game when she was 10 years outdated, and by the point she was in school, she was enjoying on a Division I staff the place she was individually ranked among the many prime 50 tennis gamers in singles in the USA.

“I actually centered on tennis. I used to be 92-0 in highschool, so I by no means misplaced a match,” stated Ekmark. “I performed each single day for 2 and a half hours after college,” she stated, including that this was on prime of her matches and tournaments on weekends.

Her purpose was to grow to be knowledgeable tennis participant, so she stated she would usually prioritize the game over her lecturers and social life.

It did not take lengthy for college recruiters to note. As highschool commencement approached, she acquired many presents from faculties across the nation. Finally, she determined to go together with Arizona State College (ASU), which gave her a full-ride scholarship to attend the college and play for his or her Division I staff.

Sadly, one night time whereas enjoying a late tennis event in school, Ekmark planted her toes fallacious and tore her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), one of many fundamental ligaments within the knee. That is recognized to be a significant harm in sports activities.

“Numerous the instances folks do contemplate ACL [tears] a large profession ender,” she stated. “Once I received my harm … It made me take a yr off, and it was very powerful. Tennis was nonetheless my life, but it surely was exhausting to get again into it nearly as good as earlier than.”

Ekmark recovered from the tear and received again to enjoying tennis, however alongside the best way, she additionally developed an curiosity for enterprise after taking an entrepreneurship class at her college. Though she had devoted a lot of her life to the game, she finally determined to pivot and give attention to constructing Ink’d Greetings.

At this time, her enterprise brings in over $25,000 in income a month, in accordance with paperwork reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Ekmark’s story is like many others within the sports activities trade. Athletes — significantly those that dream of going professional in the future — dedicate years of blood, sweat and tears to coach, and sometimes backed by households who assist bear the time and monetary dedication.

Within the U.S., mother and father spend on common $3,000 yearly on their youngsters’s sports activities, with 64% reporting rising prices lately, in accordance with a 2025 report by insurance coverage firm New York Life.

Nevertheless, lower than 2% of greater than 500,000 athletes in Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Affiliation faculties are drafted into knowledgeable sport, in accordance with NCAA information.

“I sadly wasn’t as critical about lecturers as I’d have appreciated to [have been] … I used to be there for tennis, and I do know most likely numerous athletes are like that,” stated Ekmark. “So sports activities, if you wish to [play on] a excessive degree, are an excessive sacrifice …. The room for error is so small.”

Those that need to play professionally usually should prioritize their sport over every part else. So, what occurs to the 98% of NCAA student-athletes who do not go professional? Properly for some, life after sports activities may be very difficult.

“After they graduate, there’s numerous psychological well being [issues] and [some face an] identification disaster,” Kate Fitzgerald, former scholar athlete and co-founder of SPORTx, a scholar athlete enterprise studio at Arizona State College, informed CNBC Make It.

“Numerous athletes graduate with these unimaginable ability units, however they haven’t any true, quote, unquote, company resume expertise to get them a job … they’re in a way, behind,” stated Fitzgerald.

Whereas many scholar athletes are compelled to play catch-up after college, Ekmark says that the qualities that make an awesome athlete are the identical qualities that make an awesome entrepreneur.

“I feel one of the best entrepreneurs are going to be individuals who have been former athletes,” she stated.

In June 2024, the Home v. NCAA settlement was accredited which ushered in a brand new period for the faculty sports activities trade, particularly in compensating athletes.

Following this landmark ruling, Division I school athletes who performed from 2016 to 2025, are set to be given $2.75 billion in again pay. Beforehand, the athletes could not legally accumulate on their title, picture and likeness (NIL) from their faculties.

Faculties can now additionally “spend as much as $20.5 million per yr, escalating most years by not less than 4%, to straight pay athletes. Whereas many star athletes have been paid on the aspect by NIL collectives for the previous 4 years, this formally ends the period of amateurism,” in accordance with earlier reporting by CNBC.

The NCAA traditionally operated beneath this amateurism mannequin, which restricted student-athletes in what compensation they might obtain. At this time, some agree that the brand new NIL panorama will probably be nice for student-athletes who need to grow to be entrepreneurs or capitalize on their very own manufacturers.

“The chance is greater than ever now, as a result of they will begin that [entrepreneurship journey] whereas they’re an athlete,” stated Ekmark.

“So the NIL [landscape] has created the chance for athletes to truly set themselves up for fulfillment in life after sport,” stated Fitzgerald. In observe, scholar athletes at this time may be compensated for endorsements, commercials or different offers that make the most of their title, picture or likeness.

Faculties have additionally stepped in to help their athletes with their entrepreneurial endeavors, comparable to Arizona State College’s SPORTx program, which goals to mentor the college’s athletes, assist them navigate the brand new NIL panorama, and launch, construct, broaden and develop their companies.

“I feel that we have to begin giving athletes one other route … and we have to begin instilling it of their minds sooner than once they fail and once they cannot go professional,” stated Ekmark. “I feel it does have to be in school like what [some schools] are doing now. And I feel that entrepreneurship might be one of the best route.”

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