Sponsorship, players need it and companies love it. Gaining a sponsorship is becoming more and more difficult for the next generation of aspiring athletes, whether they are the best or second best. In the beginning sponsorship was like an award, the best few within each field are given sponsorship, letting the world know that they are the best at what they do!
So what now? If you are an up and coming athlete, working yourself to the bone to be the best, to make it to the professional level, it is no longer enough, you need to have a "story". According to Ad News, a story makes the sponsorship, along with some talent. What are you to do when you come from a seemingly well off family, not battled against the odds, essentially handed a silver spoon of sport soup.
A stated example by Ad News is tennis protege Bernard Tomic, brilliant tennis player who entered the sport young and has recently worked his way into the top 100, but cannot gain a substantial sponsorship. At age 13 he earned sponsorship from Nike, Head, Optus and Tennis Australia, when he was a fresh face with a "story".
Imagine this, a young boy from Australia given a wild card entry to the Australian Open, where he will come up against the likes of Federer, Hewitt, Djokovich or Nadal. Can this young superstar of amateur tennis make it to the end? Will he be Australia's next Number One?
As nice as that story was...that is where it ended. And since then Tomic has been unable to wrangle up another story, therefore leaving him without any sponsorship that would leave a mark on the world. What advice would you give him? Injure yourself severely, work your way back to the top or have a family feud and become a trailblazer...HELLO sponsorship!
