Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
Powerlifting57
New member
So im laying in bed last night wondering how hard it is to get one.
Anybody have some insight into this?
Anybody have some insight into this?
Sponsership...
- Thread starter Powerlifting57
- Start date
SofaGeorge
New member
It's a VERY case by case thing... primarily because it is often not based on an athlete's abilities. It is more often a who-you-know rather than what-you-know.
My wife sponsors a young boy who is training to box in the Olympics. He's a sweetheart of a kid, but he wouldn't be a sponsored athlete except that he trains at my club... my coaches all think the kid has huge potential.. and I said, "Hey, honey, would you...?" It's actually not a hard sponsorship finanically either. She pays for his equipment, a minimal expense, she pays his boxing card and fight registration fees, a minimal expense, and she off sets his coaches time and travel fees... again not major amounts. If it was a major amount... she probably wouldn't sponsor him... but he just needs a little help... so it works out.
I mention his story because he is typical of the sponsored athlete. Someone who knew him saw that he had potential and stepped in to help... and he didn't need a whole lot of help.
I will be at the Beijing games this summer. I know a lot of the kids who will be competing. Many NEED sponsorships. Few have them. This is really hard for our US athletes because overseas many of the athletes are easily fully sponsored. Typically, those that do get sponsorships here are either returning champions or they have gone go out and made the effort to recruit people to sponsor them.
I had dinner with a girl about two Saturday's ago. She is a completely sponsored Olympic athlete and has been for about 4 years. She is a nobody... but she is a completely sponsored athlete. By completely sponsored I mean that rent... food... travel expenses... basically all the costs of her living her life and training are taken care of for her. All she has to do is focus on her sport. She is a completely sponsored athlete because she has a couple rich uncles and they put her training on their dime. She is the rule... not the exception. She is how most well sponsored athletes in the US get their sponsorship... from family and friends.
The difficulty of getting sponsorship also goes up exponentially based on the sport and venue. Finding people who will sponsor a kid who wants to go to the Olympics is 1000 times easier than finding someone to sponsor a guy who wants to be a bodybuilder. You'd be able to find a couple nuts who would happily sponsor a strong man competitor long before you'd find a sponsor for a kid who wants to ride on the pro motorbike circuit. Some sports are conducive to the concept of helping a kid meet his dream... while others carry the connotation of chasing a flakey vision. People aren't going to sponsor a guy that wants to play college football. They will believe that there are already vehicles in place to meet that dream. It's very case by case.
The bottom line first step is to figure out what you actually need. You need to make a budget projection to show what kind of financial support that you need. You need to be able to demonstrate why you can succeed at this sport. Then you need to think about what PROMOTIONS value you can bring to a sponsor for sponsoring you. This may be minimal... but if you are going to be approaching strangers... you need to show that you've given some thought to what you could possibly return for their help.
The big question... what is your sport?
My wife sponsors a young boy who is training to box in the Olympics. He's a sweetheart of a kid, but he wouldn't be a sponsored athlete except that he trains at my club... my coaches all think the kid has huge potential.. and I said, "Hey, honey, would you...?" It's actually not a hard sponsorship finanically either. She pays for his equipment, a minimal expense, she pays his boxing card and fight registration fees, a minimal expense, and she off sets his coaches time and travel fees... again not major amounts. If it was a major amount... she probably wouldn't sponsor him... but he just needs a little help... so it works out.
I mention his story because he is typical of the sponsored athlete. Someone who knew him saw that he had potential and stepped in to help... and he didn't need a whole lot of help.
I will be at the Beijing games this summer. I know a lot of the kids who will be competing. Many NEED sponsorships. Few have them. This is really hard for our US athletes because overseas many of the athletes are easily fully sponsored. Typically, those that do get sponsorships here are either returning champions or they have gone go out and made the effort to recruit people to sponsor them.
I had dinner with a girl about two Saturday's ago. She is a completely sponsored Olympic athlete and has been for about 4 years. She is a nobody... but she is a completely sponsored athlete. By completely sponsored I mean that rent... food... travel expenses... basically all the costs of her living her life and training are taken care of for her. All she has to do is focus on her sport. She is a completely sponsored athlete because she has a couple rich uncles and they put her training on their dime. She is the rule... not the exception. She is how most well sponsored athletes in the US get their sponsorship... from family and friends.
The difficulty of getting sponsorship also goes up exponentially based on the sport and venue. Finding people who will sponsor a kid who wants to go to the Olympics is 1000 times easier than finding someone to sponsor a guy who wants to be a bodybuilder. You'd be able to find a couple nuts who would happily sponsor a strong man competitor long before you'd find a sponsor for a kid who wants to ride on the pro motorbike circuit. Some sports are conducive to the concept of helping a kid meet his dream... while others carry the connotation of chasing a flakey vision. People aren't going to sponsor a guy that wants to play college football. They will believe that there are already vehicles in place to meet that dream. It's very case by case.
The bottom line first step is to figure out what you actually need. You need to make a budget projection to show what kind of financial support that you need. You need to be able to demonstrate why you can succeed at this sport. Then you need to think about what PROMOTIONS value you can bring to a sponsor for sponsoring you. This may be minimal... but if you are going to be approaching strangers... you need to show that you've given some thought to what you could possibly return for their help.
The big question... what is your sport?
Powerlifting57
New member
SofaGeorge said:
My sport is PL, I hold some records. Its all in the bench though, i have insane strength genetics. Putting up 395 raw @ 165lbs when i was 17 ( just turned 17). I was going for 405, i would have been on my way to 430 by the time of the meet when i seperated my shoulder. Yes before you ask i train my legs too.
My ulimate goal is to bench 430 raw @ 165lbs. Then go to 600+ shirted at the same weight. I would like to one day be the lightest person to hit the 1000 mark.
Really all i need help w/ is supplements. I can do the rest, I can probably find a gear sponsor ( karins Xtreme) when its time to go shirted.
SofaGeorge
New member
Bro, if all you need is help with supplements... that is EASY.Powerlifting57 said:
You've got a lot of pluses:
1. You are doing a "cool" sport.
2. You are doing a respectable sport.
3. You are doing a sport people can relate to. This is actually a HUGE plus... but since most guys know the basic lifts from high school PE... you'd be surprised how many people can relate to the sport simply because they had one of the top three best benches of the 20 or so guys in their gym class.
4. You have hit records. On this one you personally just made yourself someone who stands out.
5. You are young... so your potential isn't fully realized. (Up and coming is much better than on your way out.)
6. You have a significant goal that people can identify with.
7. You don't need a lot.
8. Sponsoring you carries potential promotional value.
Your best game plan is to create a short resume of yourself... complete with promotional photo(s). List who you are... a paragraph that describes your sport... the records you've already achieved... and your goal you are working towards. Then send this with a cover letter to a few of the supplement companies asking if they would be your supplement sponsor... and offering to do any adds or articles that would help them. (Stress that you really believe in their products and already use them... and used them to achieve your previous records.) Specifically contact the companies in advance and find out the name of the Marketing or Public Relations Director... and send your info directly to them.
Also, include in your resume public service and speaking highlights i.e.; things that show you can work with kids, have kid character, are civic minded, responsible, etc... Character and the ability to speak in public go a long way.
Most supplements are made on a 10 to 1 ratio... which means if it is selling for $20 it only cost the company $2 to make it and bottle/label it... so sponsoring you for supplemnts is VERY cheap for a company... and it gives them the opportunity to do an article about you and in the future follow your progress. You are also potentially someone who could appear at trade shows for them.
I honestly think getting a sponsorship with the needs you have stated is a realistic thing for you.
Powerlifting57
New member
SofaGeorge said:
THanks for the help everyone. I am going to write a resume up, i will post it tomarrow and have you guys/gals go over it and see how it looks. I will then foreward it to a couple companys of which i allready use. I truly want to help teens that is something i have tried to do through my highschool career and now. I think the things teens do these days are outrageous and they need some insight on what is coming fast in the real world.
So you truly think this is acheivable?
SofaGeorge
New member
Absolutely... especially because what you need is pretty reasonable in the cosmic scheme of things. It's one thing to need 100k a year for training, traveling, and coaching... but it is quite another to only need training supplements.Powerlifting57 said:
Supplement companies are in business to sell their products to athletes. Ads with photos, written endorsements, and articles about athletes who use their products are the bread and butter of the marketing department of supplement companies. These companies also always need people at their trade shows and event booths.
Hence, I stress to you to include photo and potential marketing info on yourself. If they see you as a young good looking guy who could be used in an ad, have your photo in an article, or occasionally have you talk to kids at an event show... it's a pretty small investment on their part to send you your supps. If you send a marketing director an intelligently written letter, photos, and suggestions on how you can return value for their sponsorship... I think you will find this is easier to do than you realize.
I also think you will find that developing an ongoing relationship with a few of these companies can open some other doors for you.
Just remember.. approach this professionally. The ability to present yourself professionally and intelligently is something a company will need to see in you.
