Newington girls basketball player Bela Cucuta signs NIL deal; believed to be one of first under new rules
Bela Cucuta, a 5-foot-10 sophomore guard at Newington High, announced Sunday on Twitter that she had signed a NIL agreement with I Believe Skills Academy, based in New Britain.
She is believed to be one of the first girls high school basketball players in Connecticut to sign an NIL deal.
Kahari Beaufort, the founder of the I Believe Skills Academy, who played professional basketball overseas, has been Cucuta’s trainer for over a year.
“Kahari saw it as a good opportunity to invest in me,” Cucuta said. “I feel like, for me, it’s a great opportunity.”
Cucuta declined to say what the agreement entailed.
Beaufort said Sunday night he had a “few things lined up for Bela” as far as endorsements, which he would announce over the next few months.
“I saw a lot of talent in Bela, I’ve been training her for a year and a half, two years,” Beaufort said. “I felt good about signing her.”
He added he will be signing a top junior boys basketball high school player soon.
“It’s basically using my connections to help them get endorsement deals,” he said.
Cucuta is Newington’s leading scorer, averaging 15.6 points per game for the Nor’easters, which were the Class L runners-up last year.
Glenn Lungarini, the executive director of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), said he knew of one other high school athlete who requested legal help from the CIAC in signing an NIL policy and that athlete did sign but did not want their name disclosed.
Cucuta said she did not request help from the CIAC.
“From what I was told from my agent, we don’t have to go through the CIAC,” Beaufort said.
The CIAC amended its amateur sports policy to included NIL language last winter. Connecticut high school athletes may retain agents or lawyers and may be involved in “commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media presence and product or service advertisements,” according to the CIAC guidelines.
The athletes may not use the school’s name or logos, and no one employed by the schools may be involved in the athletes’ NIL activities except to enforce policy. There are some restrictions; NIL activities involving adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco or cannabis products, controlled substances, gambling or weapons are prohibited.
Lori Riley can be reached at lriley@courant.com.
