Sponsorship. It's a word that's commonplace these days around athlete circles, especially those training for Sochi 2014. It seems like it's all anyone can talk about, and rightfully so- sponsorship is one of the ways athletes try to fund their careers and try to extend them as long as possible. For us in the bobsled world and in other less mainstream sports, the lead up to the Olympics is the main time to attract sponsors in hopes that they'd join your team and help you along the journey. It's during this time, April, May, and June, that all the major sponsorship deals are signed for the upcoming season and really an athlete's last chance to repay debt before the Olympics. If you aren't one of the fortunate ones to sign a deal now, good luck making it to the games (financial hardships can cost athletes dearly in terms of athletic performance) and even better luck trying to capitalize after- where even if you have a medal, most companies have already committed to athletes already so they're out of sponsorship dollars. It's a tough way to try to fund what you've been working on your whole life- to make an Olympic team and win a medal for your country- but it's necessary to reach your dream. It's very hard to get there without at least one major sponsor, trust me- I know, as I currently don't have any...
So what's it like trying to attract sponsors? It's quite a bit like dating. Now as a female I've mostly left it up to the man to approach me (thankfully Nic took all the first steps), so I'm not as familiar with what it's like from a dating perspective to approach someone- but from what I've heard the two are very alike. First, you've got to find a commonality between you and the sponsor- what do you have in common that can bring you together- aside from just needing money. Then you have to attract them- whether it's through your athletic accomplishments, your connection with the company, your story as an athlete- etc.- attraction is the name of the game. After this initial attraction by both parties, then the courting begins- it's a combination of you as the athlete selling yourself to the company and the company selling themselves to you- trying to see if a relationship can actually work. Most of the time, unfortunately, it doesn't. Much like dating, sometimes you hear a lot of nos before you get a yes (or like my mother used to say, "Sometimes you gotta kiss a lot of frogs, to get your Prince"). If you get a yes, then the relationship begins- a negotiation between what is expected from each party and hopefully you both end up happy- you become a family of sorts- offering support to each other in new and fun ways. Sponsorship can be great for that- it introduces you to a whole new group of people- each of whom have their own relationship to sports, athletes, and the Olympics and it can be an awesome experience to be able to relate and share with them and the entire company. On the other hand, if you get a no, it's back to the drawing board and starting all over again...
Unlike dating however (for most people who believe in monogamy), once you have one sponsor the work isn't done. You've still got debt to pay back from the previous 4 sponsorship years, so you've got to try to attract another one to keep you going for the Olympic season and beyond (should you choose to continue). So even though you've got one sponsor now, the work has only just begun, and it's time for the next pitch.
Now as I mentioned earlier, I currently don't have any sponsors, but it's not for lack of trying. Earning sponsorship is a fascinating mix- you've got to put in the leg work to do so, but at what price? I have an agent that handles most of the leg work for me, because at the end of the day I just don't have the time. As much as the sponsorship is needed to fund my career, I need to focus on my performance and being the best athlete I can be, or else sponsorship won't be an issue at all- because I won't be able to keep making teams and winning medals. It's a tricky balance- trying to get sponsors, raise money for your career, and train 40+ hours a week- but it must be done to some extent to continue to pursue your dreams.
Hopefully in a few months I'll be able to report that I have a sponsor, that I don't have to find odd jobs to try to pay for the season that cut into my preparation as an athlete, but nothing is guaranteed. In the meantime, I have to focus on preparing myself for the upcoming season athletically, and do what I can to secure sponsors on the side. Don't get me wrong, if I'm fortunate enough to secure a sponsor leading into 2014, I'll do everything I can to make that as great a relationship as possible, and I'm excited at the possibility of connecting with a company or business, but in the meantime, I can't afford to let talk of sponsorship consume me. It has consumed many athletes in the lead up to the games, and I've seen it lead to the downfall of many athletes. Many athletes get too concerned about capitalizing off the opportunity to make a little money and forget why we're all here.
We're here because we love our sports. At the end of the day, sponsors or not, I still love bobsled and I still love going down the hill as fast as possible. I'd love to have sponsors to help me keep bobsledding, but if I'm not fortunate enough to get them, I'm going to do whatever I can to keep bobsledding as long as possible- and not for the money- but because I love my country and I love my sport. I love representing the USA and I love driving my sled. I'll do this sport as long as I can, because there's no amount of money that can compare to the amazing feeling of wearing USA on your back for all the world to see.
So what's it like trying to attract sponsors? It's quite a bit like dating. Now as a female I've mostly left it up to the man to approach me (thankfully Nic took all the first steps), so I'm not as familiar with what it's like from a dating perspective to approach someone- but from what I've heard the two are very alike. First, you've got to find a commonality between you and the sponsor- what do you have in common that can bring you together- aside from just needing money. Then you have to attract them- whether it's through your athletic accomplishments, your connection with the company, your story as an athlete- etc.- attraction is the name of the game. After this initial attraction by both parties, then the courting begins- it's a combination of you as the athlete selling yourself to the company and the company selling themselves to you- trying to see if a relationship can actually work. Most of the time, unfortunately, it doesn't. Much like dating, sometimes you hear a lot of nos before you get a yes (or like my mother used to say, "Sometimes you gotta kiss a lot of frogs, to get your Prince"). If you get a yes, then the relationship begins- a negotiation between what is expected from each party and hopefully you both end up happy- you become a family of sorts- offering support to each other in new and fun ways. Sponsorship can be great for that- it introduces you to a whole new group of people- each of whom have their own relationship to sports, athletes, and the Olympics and it can be an awesome experience to be able to relate and share with them and the entire company. On the other hand, if you get a no, it's back to the drawing board and starting all over again...
Unlike dating however (for most people who believe in monogamy), once you have one sponsor the work isn't done. You've still got debt to pay back from the previous 4 sponsorship years, so you've got to try to attract another one to keep you going for the Olympic season and beyond (should you choose to continue). So even though you've got one sponsor now, the work has only just begun, and it's time for the next pitch.
Now as I mentioned earlier, I currently don't have any sponsors, but it's not for lack of trying. Earning sponsorship is a fascinating mix- you've got to put in the leg work to do so, but at what price? I have an agent that handles most of the leg work for me, because at the end of the day I just don't have the time. As much as the sponsorship is needed to fund my career, I need to focus on my performance and being the best athlete I can be, or else sponsorship won't be an issue at all- because I won't be able to keep making teams and winning medals. It's a tricky balance- trying to get sponsors, raise money for your career, and train 40+ hours a week- but it must be done to some extent to continue to pursue your dreams.
Hopefully in a few months I'll be able to report that I have a sponsor, that I don't have to find odd jobs to try to pay for the season that cut into my preparation as an athlete, but nothing is guaranteed. In the meantime, I have to focus on preparing myself for the upcoming season athletically, and do what I can to secure sponsors on the side. Don't get me wrong, if I'm fortunate enough to secure a sponsor leading into 2014, I'll do everything I can to make that as great a relationship as possible, and I'm excited at the possibility of connecting with a company or business, but in the meantime, I can't afford to let talk of sponsorship consume me. It has consumed many athletes in the lead up to the games, and I've seen it lead to the downfall of many athletes. Many athletes get too concerned about capitalizing off the opportunity to make a little money and forget why we're all here.
We're here because we love our sports. At the end of the day, sponsors or not, I still love bobsled and I still love going down the hill as fast as possible. I'd love to have sponsors to help me keep bobsledding, but if I'm not fortunate enough to get them, I'm going to do whatever I can to keep bobsledding as long as possible- and not for the money- but because I love my country and I love my sport. I love representing the USA and I love driving my sled. I'll do this sport as long as I can, because there's no amount of money that can compare to the amazing feeling of wearing USA on your back for all the world to see.
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