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http://www.examiner.com/beach-volleyball-in-national/beach-volleyball-athletes-struggle-for-sponsor-funding-after-turbulent-season
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Beach volleyball athletes struggle for sponsor funding after turbulent season
In the wake of a bankruptcy filing by the once dominating Association of Beach Volleyball Professionals organization last November, this past pro beach volleyball season weathered its absence as best it could.
In this tumultuous season, amidst a languishing economy, three competing tours rushed to fill the void by struggling to attract sponsors and players alike. Delayed schedule announcements, cancelled events, and reduced prize money were just a few of the growing pains experienced.
Seeing the writing on the wall last fall, several upper-ranked athletes threw in the towel by retiring from the sport, and returning to the job market full-time.
Still, the majority of the 200 pro players hung in there - striving to make ends meet by earning prize money and landing sponsorship deals as best they could. In the same way that the three tours, two of them upstart, weathered this tempestuous year, so did veteran as well as emerging athletes.
Top-ranked, elite athletes, befitting their talent and stature, excelled on and off the court. Such aspiring Olympians, Misty May Treanor, Kerri Walsh, Todd Rogers, and Phil Dalhausser continued to rake-in prize winnings while retaining and even landing new sponsors.
Yet, for everyone else seeking to make ends meet, the season was troublesome. The declining tournament payouts financially saddled these players in so many ways. Many juggled both training and competing, all the while working on a part-time or full-time basis. And further draining their energy was the quest for coveted sponsorship funding.
“It is a full-time job,” said a highly-ranked John Hyden at a late-season tournament. Looking back at this fractured year, Hyden said, “It has been difficult. You need to establish a platform to sell yourself.”
But with the crumbling of the AVP tour, players like Hyden and partner Sean Scott could not rely on windfall sponsorships that were doled out by the once high-flying tour.
Gone are the AVP days of tour-sponsoring giants McDonalds, Microsoft, Gatorade, Hilton, and Nautica. Enter the likes of Zico, Neuro, and Guayaki Yerba Mate that players are lucky enough to land deals with now.
Athletes Seek Funding As Best They Can
Fortunately, Hyden and Scott each earned about $65,000 in prize money, compliments of winning eight domestic events this year. They supplemented their “millionaire-like earnings,” at least by beach volleyball’s languishing standards, with income from sponsoring Zico, a coconut water company.
Similarly, up-and-coming players Emily Day and Heather Hughes, who each earned a modest $16,000 this year, sought any additional funding they could. Arising from the player masses, this gifted newcomer partnership faced challenges.
Because they had no established track record, they had to convince companies to back them. At a September event, Hughes said, “We are continually trying to find more sponsors,” while relying on support from a nutrition drink company, Neuro.
Based on their rising success and promising future, their off-season marketing will be focused on attracting endorsement deals.
This divisive season, where several tours battled for a piece of the sponsorship pie, proved a stumbling block for many. Mid-ranked Steve VanderWerp grappled with explaining to companies how exposure in a sport, facing an uncertain future, could beneift their brands.
“It has been very tough especially with the AVP going out of business. It was the name that everyone recognized so when you try to explain what is going to happen in the future, sponsors were very skeptical,” said VanderWerp. Yet, he was able to land a few corporate backers nearby his Michigan home.
And by relying on his season-ending Barefoot Wines ProAm Championship title, he seeks to offset sizeable training and travel expenses next year with additional sponsorship dollars that will supplement his prize money.
Marketing Marvel
Of all the players striving to survive while playing a sport they love, Russ Marchewka seems best at understanding how to sell himself to sponsors. Marchewka, an eight-year veteran who earned a mere $10,000 last season, has developed his own brand that he is marketing to companies.
Well-known for his health and fitness bent, this vegan has developed a niche among the player population. Sponsors typically aim to partner with athletes who share mutual objectives and philosophy. So, it is no wonder that Marchewka has aligned himself with such health-conscious products as Guayaki Yerba Mate tea, Nordic Naturals fish oil, and Oxylent vitamins.
Through a strong on-line presence where he manages a health food shopping site and a popular blog, he has promoted these companies’ products. In this “in-kind” symbiotic relationship, he benefits by using these free products, while promoting them.
While the tangible financial benefits are minimal, Marchewka realizes the necessary give-and-take. By using these beneficial drinks, supplements, and vitamins, this self acclaimed “health ambassador” believes his play this past season has improved.
“I get the best food and nutrients that I know of in order to perform at my highest level. And it’s starting to pay off.”
http://www.examiner.com/beach-volleyball-in-national/beach-volleyball-athletes-struggle-for-sponsor-funding-after-turbulent-season
чтобы не ходить по ссылкам копирую текст
Beach volleyball athletes struggle for sponsor funding after turbulent season
In the wake of a bankruptcy filing by the once dominating Association of Beach Volleyball Professionals organization last November, this past pro beach volleyball season weathered its absence as best it could.
In this tumultuous season, amidst a languishing economy, three competing tours rushed to fill the void by struggling to attract sponsors and players alike. Delayed schedule announcements, cancelled events, and reduced prize money were just a few of the growing pains experienced.
Seeing the writing on the wall last fall, several upper-ranked athletes threw in the towel by retiring from the sport, and returning to the job market full-time.
Still, the majority of the 200 pro players hung in there - striving to make ends meet by earning prize money and landing sponsorship deals as best they could. In the same way that the three tours, two of them upstart, weathered this tempestuous year, so did veteran as well as emerging athletes.
Top-ranked, elite athletes, befitting their talent and stature, excelled on and off the court. Such aspiring Olympians, Misty May Treanor, Kerri Walsh, Todd Rogers, and Phil Dalhausser continued to rake-in prize winnings while retaining and even landing new sponsors.
Yet, for everyone else seeking to make ends meet, the season was troublesome. The declining tournament payouts financially saddled these players in so many ways. Many juggled both training and competing, all the while working on a part-time or full-time basis. And further draining their energy was the quest for coveted sponsorship funding.
“It is a full-time job,” said a highly-ranked John Hyden at a late-season tournament. Looking back at this fractured year, Hyden said, “It has been difficult. You need to establish a platform to sell yourself.”
But with the crumbling of the AVP tour, players like Hyden and partner Sean Scott could not rely on windfall sponsorships that were doled out by the once high-flying tour.
Gone are the AVP days of tour-sponsoring giants McDonalds, Microsoft, Gatorade, Hilton, and Nautica. Enter the likes of Zico, Neuro, and Guayaki Yerba Mate that players are lucky enough to land deals with now.
Athletes Seek Funding As Best They Can
Fortunately, Hyden and Scott each earned about $65,000 in prize money, compliments of winning eight domestic events this year. They supplemented their “millionaire-like earnings,” at least by beach volleyball’s languishing standards, with income from sponsoring Zico, a coconut water company.
Similarly, up-and-coming players Emily Day and Heather Hughes, who each earned a modest $16,000 this year, sought any additional funding they could. Arising from the player masses, this gifted newcomer partnership faced challenges.
Because they had no established track record, they had to convince companies to back them. At a September event, Hughes said, “We are continually trying to find more sponsors,” while relying on support from a nutrition drink company, Neuro.
Based on their rising success and promising future, their off-season marketing will be focused on attracting endorsement deals.
This divisive season, where several tours battled for a piece of the sponsorship pie, proved a stumbling block for many. Mid-ranked Steve VanderWerp grappled with explaining to companies how exposure in a sport, facing an uncertain future, could beneift their brands.
“It has been very tough especially with the AVP going out of business. It was the name that everyone recognized so when you try to explain what is going to happen in the future, sponsors were very skeptical,” said VanderWerp. Yet, he was able to land a few corporate backers nearby his Michigan home.
And by relying on his season-ending Barefoot Wines ProAm Championship title, he seeks to offset sizeable training and travel expenses next year with additional sponsorship dollars that will supplement his prize money.
Marketing Marvel
Of all the players striving to survive while playing a sport they love, Russ Marchewka seems best at understanding how to sell himself to sponsors. Marchewka, an eight-year veteran who earned a mere $10,000 last season, has developed his own brand that he is marketing to companies.
Well-known for his health and fitness bent, this vegan has developed a niche among the player population. Sponsors typically aim to partner with athletes who share mutual objectives and philosophy. So, it is no wonder that Marchewka has aligned himself with such health-conscious products as Guayaki Yerba Mate tea, Nordic Naturals fish oil, and Oxylent vitamins.
Through a strong on-line presence where he manages a health food shopping site and a popular blog, he has promoted these companies’ products. In this “in-kind” symbiotic relationship, he benefits by using these free products, while promoting them.
While the tangible financial benefits are minimal, Marchewka realizes the necessary give-and-take. By using these beneficial drinks, supplements, and vitamins, this self acclaimed “health ambassador” believes his play this past season has improved.
“I get the best food and nutrients that I know of in order to perform at my highest level. And it’s starting to pay off.”