The state of track and field is a mixed bag these days. It is a sport that is overflowing with talent yet struggling immensely. The struggle has been mainly around financial stability. Something that track and field athletes don’t have the luxury of claiming. Over the years, many track legends have come forward and told the stories of their struggles in the sport. The latest addition to the roster of outspoken athletes is Fred Kerley.

Kerley joins his contemporaries like Noah Lyles and Grant Holloway in doing the same. Lyles has gone so far as to even call track a “dying sport.” Whereas Holloway went one step ahead this year and pulled out of Diamond League races due to insufficient payouts. But before these voices came the voices of track legends like Justin Gatlin and Michael Johnson. The financial reality faced by many is not just an abstract concern but the unfortunate reality of track and field athletes. And it is perhaps this common ground between Kerley and Gatlin that gave them the space to expose what goes on behind the curtains!

Fred Kerley does not mince his words as he puts forth facts!

Fred Kerley is a two-time Olympic medalist and three-time World Championship gold medalist. So, when he speaks, he speaks from a place of experience and honesty. On a recent episode of Ready Set Go, Kerley went on to say, “What I think really needs to take place in our sport, especially for the young athletes, is understanding Wealth Management.” While this has been a strong suit for Kerley, with his degree in business. The same is not true for the rest of the track world.

Despite the wins, Kerley observes a major point of contention within the sport. So why Wealth Management? Well, in the case of track field, the sad truth is that once an athlete stops racing, their income flow stops too. This means that an athlete could be the greatest in the world with multiple Olympic golds. And still not be able to sustain themselves. While Kerley was able to put his money into stocks and bonds, not all athletes are thinking along the same lines.

Many times, what happens is that athlete ends up spending the money on short-term things that they might want. As Fred Kerley himself puts it, “You spend half a million dollars on a car, but you don’t got no roof over your head, really, ’cause that apartment is not yours.” The frustration is palpable. And it is a story that the world has seen before. Kerley’s perspective is actually quite futuristic. He suggests asking the right questions, too.

One of the most important ones to ask is, “How can I educate the next generation to do that (manage finances)?” The problem that Kerley is addressing is clearly a systemic one that needs to be fought systemically. On the one hand, he believes that someone must teach the younger generation. On the other hand, he holds the “OGs” responsible, too!

Holding the “OG’s” responsible!

Fred Kerley, during the podcast, also goes on to talk about the obligation that sprinters who have come before the current roster hold. He believes that “Until the OGs and stuff start stepping up, and even the younger people that got education start stepping up and tell the kids how to manage their money, we ain’t trying to take the money.” He truly believes that students who wanted to get into sprinting got mentorship both on track and financially; perhaps the state of athletes could improve. This isn’t just theory for Kerley. It is personal!

As Kerley himself puts it, “When I say put it away, it’s like you said, the stocks and bonds, like, buy a piece of land all over the United States of America, all over the world if you can.” Despite not receiving mentorship, Kerley has found a way to keep his finances in order. The key lies in investment. And Fred has made plenty of those. He playfully even added, “If y’all need some barbershops, I got a barbershop in Miami.”

You read that right: Fred Kerley has a barbershop in Miami aptly named ‘The Godfather Barber Shop.’ But that’s not the only one he’s got, either! Kerley has also launched ‘Kerley Ranch’ a few months later. While Fred Kerley first loves track, his focus is on the future. In Kerley’s own words, “When you get that first piece of a check, you got to work on your end plan now, not later, when you’re at the end of your career.”