Hey I race good, give me stuff

Bit of a tricky post today. I am going to write this very carefully in an attempt to not appear to be an arse.

The reason it is touchy is that this post is about sponsorship.

Sponsorship is always a sensitive topic and it is only becoming more so. There is apparently a real (and growing) sentiment among the sporting industry and race organisers that supporting elite athletes isn't worth the effort and money. It is summed up quite nicely in this article by The Real Starky.

The Real Starky

and a bit more towards the end of this one

A bit more Starky

Now if I am honest, I can sort of see why industry and race organisers might think this way. I think the above article explains the issues that a lot of sponsors and race organisers have with athletes. Really I think a lot of athletes don't do much to help themselves.

There definitely seems to be a impression among sponsors that your average elite triathlete's attitude is 'Hey I race good, so you should give me stuff'. That impression may be correct.

That is why I have been very hesitant to write a blog that says, 'Hey I race good, give me stuff'. Which is more or less what this is.


Okay, perhaps a bit less than more. You see I don't consider myself to be one of the above athletes. I feel that I work quite hard for my sponsors.I would be lying if I said that promotion wasn't one of the reasons behind why I started this blog. It isn't THE reason, but it is a factor. It is also one of the reasons behind why I joined Facebook and Twitter (now I am just plain addicted like everyone else). I always try and go to presentations, always try and thank organisers, talk to sponsors at race expos when I get the chance etc. I like to think that a big part of my motivation for doing this is because I am not a dick, but like all these things, promotion is a factor too.

Long before I ever first cold called a potential sponsor I read this blog.

Sponsorship 101

Which explains the process of approaching sponsors very well. I have always tried to be mindful of the points that this blog (and many others like it) make with regard to providing sponsors value for money.

So to sum up. I think I work reasonably hard for the support that I get.

A quick word on that support too. As hinted at by Ryan Borger's blog above having a sponsor that actually pays you money to race is a fairly rare thing. Certainly I don't have any. All my sponsorship comes in the form of equipment and discounts. Support, I should add, that I am very thankful for, because it helps more than people realise. While discounts and equipment may not sound like much it ends up being worth reasonable amounts of money each year. This is money that I can spend on other things like travel to races etc. All this is worth mentioning because it gives context my complaint below.

So now on to why I thought I would write this blog. As I have said, I was hesitant to write a blog that complains about sponsorship, since the general sentiment is that most athletes don't really deserve what they get anyway. I also didn't want to seem ungrateful. However, a recent interaction with a potential sponsor annoyed me a little and I felt the need to rant.

You see whilst there is a lot of talk about athletes feeling like they should get something for nothing. There doesn't seem to be much talk about companies doing the same, ie expecting something for nothing. I am realistic when I approach sponsors, I spell out what I can offer and I usually make it clear that I am only asking for a discount, I am not seeking handouts. However, some of the deals that are offered are just plain offensive. I have signed contracts with some sponsors (not all of them need it) and usually the amount of work specified in the contract is not insignificant. When you work out the monetary benefit you get in return for the work, sometimes it just doesn't add up. I would be better off just buying the product through normal channels and saving myself the effort.

That is what annoys me a bit. Sure a lot of athletes take the support for granted, but not all of us. If we are willing to do the work to promote a brand, surely we deserve a little more than a few percent off retail.

Okay. I think I am done. Rant done.

On a side note, have a read of the latest of Ryan Borger's blog entries. It is from back in 2014 and it details the injury issues he had to deal with. Far out. I promise to never complain about my shoulder again. Okay, I admit, I probably can't hold up that promise, but it sure puts it in perspective.