How do you sponsor teams?

pbfreak910 · 01-27-2008, 12:36 AM

I think the best way you can solve this problem is to remind them of the deals that they are getting and the work that they must do to get those deals. If they slack off and don't work then take away one thing at a time. Eventually you might just want to pull the entire thing away from them. Sometimes people just get too confortable with things and forget how they got them in the first place.

Pietasters · 01-27-2008, 05:48 AM

Have the team sign a contract. If they fail to meet their side of things, sit down with them and remind them it is a business and you do have goals/requirements of them. Your contract should state what happens should they not meet their requirements so that there are no surprises.

Also make sure you have a local/second team competing with them. Showing up to practice, training with them. Find a local team that is hungry and trying to prove itself. Competition breeds excellence.

Think of it like a Varsity vs JV squad

stabbedu2 · 01-27-2008, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pietasters

Have the team sign a contract. If they fail to meet their side of things, sit down with them and remind them it is a business and you do have goals/requirements of them. Your contract should state what happens should they not meet their requirements so that there are no surprises.

Also make sure you have a local/second team competing with them. Showing up to practice, training with them. Find a local team that is hungry and trying to prove itself. Competition breeds excellence.

Think of it like a Varsity vs JV squad

this is what our field does as well, seems to work well for us and for the field/store owner also over all. We know clearly what is expected of us from the contract in order to recieve the great things we do from the owner. Alot of players do not realize that a "Sponsorship" is definately something earned and it has to benefit both parties involved or the owner is just going to go under. Support those who help the sport, and support your business!!!

ActiveShooter · 01-27-2008, 09:54 PM

We give our teams gear at cost or free. There are strict rules about who gets gear and what type/how often. It has been worth it for us.

jokerdxs · 01-27-2008, 11:07 PM

We offer cost paint, cost gear, free entry, and we help them out with gas/food for events. They all work for us from April-November reffing private groups. We pay them minimum wage too.

TekniqueSportz · 01-31-2008, 01:12 PM

After several nightmare's, I asked a person of whom I hold great respect for his opinions, he said to tell teams who want to be sponsored I would give them 10% of the profit on sales that they generated in my store. Also, 10% off gear. Let's face it, teams with little or no experiance want to be sponsored with usally a free ride. I believe this is a great solution.

FTW PAINTBALL · 01-31-2008, 04:20 PM

My kids are totally sponsored. I pay entrance fees to all tourneys. They get paint and air for free. We bought an X-ball field to play on. Hey, they are getting better everyday.

But seriously they have to work their behinds off for their Dad. They set up the fields, clean everything, set up the compressor and tanks, fill CO2, whip noses, and have to tolerate their grumpy father. The youngest has enlisted 5 new teams and the oldest helps teach the game to newbs. It’s tough work. If you sponsor someone treat them like your own kids and make them responsible to promote your field and products. That’s right money talks; everyone else is an Air Monkey!

paintballman4u · 01-31-2008, 04:54 PM

wow i my team most have it prerty good, we get

free entry, air, and paint to play with customers. Free prac time when ever we want with at cost paint prices. discounts on equipment and we get all of are turney entry paid for and one case of paint each player at a turney(up to 85$) and we get to keep are winnings.

what we do for them

bring bussiness
team spreads out reffing, cleaning and just being there 7 days a week(we all most be there atleast 2ce a week to live up to agrements)

we have never let them down, we are allways there, and we are there employees(im the only one on the team that gets paid because im there alot more often then everyone els and was the one who get the sponsership to begin with)

is that any good?

Carnagge · 01-31-2008, 08:40 PM

Fields sponsor teams. Teams work for field. Teams get gear/paint at reasonable cost. (still above dealer cost). Amount of discount etc etc etc depends on work ethic productivity etc etc etc.

HITW's BigBird · 02-05-2008, 09:45 AM

My sponsorship for the fields I play for is a you scratch my back i scratch yours type of relationship.
Basically my team refs their events, we clean up the field, we maintain the field, wash bunkers, mow, rake, whatever it takes. We supervise the staging area seeing as the owner cant be in all places at once. We enforce safety. The players that have been at the field from the start work as employees. Helping to sell guns, filling air, selling the paint. We also help out the new players...coaching and such to keep the customer service rating high and people that want to come back.

In return we get...discounts on paint 10-15 dollars.
Free Air
Free Field
Higher Discounts on Bulk Paintball Buys for Tournaments.
---------------------------------NOTICE----------------------------------
I would not give away free paint as a sponsor unless you are making a decent profit off of tournaments and the other walk on players. Or unless you have a team that you are sending to major events. Local events or even state events should not get FREE paint...Some may beg to differ. But as a PLAYER I support my field fully and will not accept free paint. =)

BigBird

t-wellz1 · 02-05-2008, 08:24 PM

my team is sponcered by mr paintball and rampage city

i think the deal we get is...
discount on paint
factory price on equipment

but:
we have to play in all mr tournies
i dont think the sponcership is to well but...its better then nothing!

Trauma11 · 02-06-2008, 08:19 AM

Basically none of what you guys are talking about is sponsorship. When you have to work multiple days of week reffing, cleaning, etc etc. And only getting free entry, very small discounts, and no assistance for practice and tournaments all your doing is getting employee discounts. Now i realize that its just what people and field owners do because its people trying to help people because everyone loves the sport and if field owners and players could do more for each other, im sure they would.

Now lets take a pro team for example. Lets just use dynasty for an example. They shoot smart parts guns which are given to them for free in turn people buy smart parts guns. Therefore smart parts gets a legitimate return on there investment (the free guns, gear, money). Another example would be a NASCAR driver and car. Sponsor gives the driver and/or team money, in turn there logo is all over the drivers car, teams uniforms etc etc. So when they win or just drive around the track its viewed by millions.

So its difficult for me for me to comprehend how alot of fields and/or players call there relationship with the other a sponsorship. Because its really a working relationship. You dont see a little league team sponsored by a local variety store putting in hours at the store do you?

just my two cents no one has to agree

HITW's BigBird · 02-06-2008, 10:02 AM

Right^^......I dont think Smart Parts was a good product to choose for your example though =)
Bring on the flaming

funfla22 · 02-06-2008, 10:18 AM

from what i have seen most sponsporship at a local level is more a loyalty discount !!!!! giving your repaeat and high volume users a better deal via discounts etc even to trading work for gear time or paint---

most manufactors deal(other than the very pro teams)
involve perhaps a small value in free items and dealership price deal with theidea team uses thier product(or sells it to raise money)

so in reality they are just getting moregoods sold
(which really hurts the local guys )

its all a catch 22

personally i would perfer to see all manufactors stop sponsporing except to the very top pro level --
make it all go thru the local store guys

Blackrain7557 · 02-06-2008, 10:28 AM

True sponsorships for anyone under pro are few and far between if not nonexistence.

Trauma11 · 02-06-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackrain7557

True sponsorships for anyone under pro are few and far between if not nonexistence.

Exactly, which is how it works in every other sport.

I think at cost sponsorships are a good thing from a players perspective for growing the industry, sure there could be other ways, but the more competitive paintball gets, and the more formats and leagues that are created the closer it gets to ESPN and the X-games. That might be the one thing that gets more and more people playing. We have to come to the harsh reality that paintball is just like other extreme sports. Participation is limited for numerous reasons (its expensive, its painful at times, and you cant do in the backyard and play) We all dream that more players, equal lower costs, but its not just that. This industry is really screwed up and doesnt run like normal retail. All the money in this industry is controlled at the manufacturer level, and beyond that its controlled by smart parts. Until some of these things change its going to be the same old song and dance

Lord_of_Worr · 02-06-2008, 01:29 PM

At my home field, every player pays $150 in dues every month. In exchange, the field owner provides an exclusive field for practice once a week, free air, unlimited paint during practice hours, unlimited paint at tournaments, and pays for our entry fees and sells us gear at cost from his pro shop. We are responsible for funding our travel and lodging as well as reffing six tournaments per year. It works out and everyone is happy.