Just a game? Not for these young all-stars who are fearlessly leading the sport into the future.

By Brett Knight, Justin Birnbaum and Angelica Deleon

AThe 28-year-old Olympic rugby sensation asked about the worst advice she’s ever received Ilona Maher says, “Turn it down.” For the 28-year-old CEO of ScorePlay: Victorian Tixierit says “be realistic” and for Erica KontosFor him, a 28-year-old member of the NBA’s international media team, it’s “just adapting to fit in.” Carlin Hudsona 28-year-old former professional soccer player, but may have received the worst piece of wisdom of all: “Good things come to those who wait.”

For all four of them, swimming against the current paid off. Loud and proud, Maher led the U.S. to a bronze medal in Paris this summer, grew her TikTok followers to over 3 million and landed a spot on ABC Dancing with the stars. Tixier – with his co-founder Xavier Green29 – has built a platform that helps 170 sports organizations manage and distribute media content, and Kontos brings the NBA to new countries and new languages. As for Hudson, she now plays an important strategic role for the National Women’s Soccer League.

All of these rising stars are among the gifted athletes, inventive founders and savvy businesspeople who landed in the sports category on Forbes’ 2025 30 Under 30 list, a group that includes sports greats like the Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum26; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey28; and Indiana fever phenomenon Caitlin Clark, 22.

The candidates, who had to be at least 29 years old as of December 31, 2024, and had not previously been eligible for inclusion in the continental Forbes 30 Under 30 list, were evaluated by a jury that included some of the greatest players in the sports world: Keia Clarkethe CEO of the WNBA’s New York Liberty; Jahm NajafiCo-founder of private equity firm MSP Sports Capital; Vijay Srinivasanco-founder of Major League Cricket; And Lindsey Vonnthe entrepreneur and legendary skier, who herself was a member of the 2014 30 Under 30 class.

One of the new award winners is 25 years old Mondo Duplantisa Louisiana-born pole vaulter who competes internationally for his mother’s home country of Sweden and has broken the world record ten times in his career. But he’s not the only one raising the bar.

Mallory SwansonThe 26-year-old, who scored the gold medal goal for the U.S. women’s national soccer team at the Paris Olympics, owns the NWSL’s largest contract, reportedly worth more than $2 million over five years . Erin Matson24, who won four national championships as a field hockey player at the University of North Carolina, transitioned into coaching at age 22 and won another title in her first season leading the program. Haley and Hanna Cavinder, The 23-year-old twin guards on the University of Miami women’s basketball team have become the faces of the NCAA’s NIL era, landing endorsement deals with their more than 6 million social media followers and launching their own brands.

In the meantime, Kelsie Whitmore26, is the first female baseball player to appear in Atlantic League and Pioneer League games, and Laila EdwardsThe 20-year-old is the first black woman to qualify for the U.S. senior national ice hockey team.

Inclusion was a broader theme of this year’s list. Saroya Tinker26, who was the first black female hockey player at Yale, now leads diversity initiatives for the PWHL and runs the nonprofit advocacy group Black Girl Hockey Club Canada. HoopQueens founder Nakissa Koomalsingh29, is the organizer of Canada’s first women’s professional basketball league and vice president of Inner Circle Sports Maddie WinslowThe 29-year-old wants to demonstrate the financial viability of women’s sports through her investment banking advisory services.

Overall, the 30 Under 30 Sports class of 2025 consists of 22 women and 16 people of color.

Like her fellow honorees, Matson, the field hockey coach, gave the worst advice she’d ever received: “Defense wins championships.” (She prefers to stay on offense and dictate the action.) When asked what advice she gave her 18-year-old self However, Matson expresses a more general opinion – one that could serve as the motto for the 30 Under 30 list.

“If you think a goal is ambitious, I challenge you to think bigger,” she says. “Don’t let outside voices and opinions derail you for a second. You will never be criticized by someone who does more than you; They are only criticized by those who do less.

“Stay the course and continue to pursue your dreams uncompromisingly. Trust me, you would be shocked to see where you go and how many people you take with you.”

For the complete 2025 30 Under 30 sports list: Click hereand for full insurance coverage for those under 30, Click here.

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