The future of any club or sport weighs heavily on the youth systems in place. The countless hours put in by volunteer coaches and the parental taxis, ensures that the next generation have the skills and mind-set to compete at the required level. Without the commitment of these individuals, amateur clubs would find it very difficult to compete year in, year out.
The Next Generation
Sponsorship of the next generation is equally as vital but often not given the attention it deserves. The focus of most clubs is sponsorship of their senior teams or athletes with the youth section often left to their own devices. As a result, those involved often resort to social media shout outs or approaching parents they feel might be able to help. Whilst both avenues may have the desired effect, it often results in a short term commitment.
Having a strategy will always yield the best results:
Sponsorship Strategy
Step 1
Identify what your team need.
E.g. new kit, venue hire costs, transport costs.
Step 2
Decided what you can give in return to your prospective sponsors
e.g. a company logo on 200 youth hoodies.
Step 3
Who are you going to target?
Research relatable businesses within the local area.
Step 4
Spend time gaining the correct contact information
e.g. owner, area director, marketing manager.
Step 5
Construct an email template that can be tweaked for each business.
Businesses will be focused on the value you can give in return for their cash. Work hard at giving real world examples on how they will gain a return on their investment.
Top Tip – Think multi-year rather than just one season.
Sponsor Connect’s sports marketing platform provides your club and athletes with the tools to find your perfect sponsorship partner. As a business, we are committed to helping sports, clubs, teams and athletes become 1st class sponsorship partner.
