[raehl]

I agree with Ganja. I did 4 years in college paintball and we brought a lot of people into the sport because we used our experience to make the experience of the newbies better. It's not only college teams that can do that; the key is to understand the personalities of the people you are sponsoring. Are they there to get more people to play paintball, or are they there because they think they're better than everyone else and this shouldn't have to pay?

- Chris

[Danger Dan]

I would love to chime in on this topic.

Now to start off my opinions are biased and coming from a teams perspective so take this with a grain of salt.

STOP SPONSORING DEAD BEET TEAMS!!

Make sure that the team s you choose to sponsor bring a good ROI for your business. Spell out clearly what you expect and what they will receive for their work. Review that teams performance quarterly WITH them and reconfirm your goals and what you would like to see from them to accomplish those goals.

By Sponsoring teams that feel all they need to do is sport your logo and play at your field you devalue the teams that really work and bring value to your field or store.

Please bring value back to sponsorships and be picky on team and what you want out of them.

Thanks
Dan
Team Desert Edge

[RIP2010]

Thank you all for posting on this topic.

What are your thought on the following statement:

"An amateur Speedballer, which plays competitively, is one who plays Speedball for the challenge it presents, not as a profession and not for financial gain."

Also,

Why are professional players held in such high regard when there seems to be no substantial financial gain involved?

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by RIP2010

Thank you all for posting on this topic.

What are your thought on the following statement:

"An amateur Speedballer, which plays competitively, is one who plays Speedball for the challenge it presents, not as a profession and not for financial gain."

Also,

Why are professional players held in such high regard when there seems to be no substantial financial gain involved?

The first statement can be said about virtually any player in any sport.

The second statement: because they are the best in the game. The fact that the best in our game aren't rewarded very well is irrelevant. I would be watching and holding NHL level hockey players in high regard even if they didn't earn the money that they do earn.

[7paintball]

Originally Posted by Danger Dan

I would love to chime in on this topic.

Now to start off my opinions are biased and coming from a teams perspective so take this with a grain of salt.

STOP SPONSORING DEAD BEET TEAMS!!

Make sure that the team s you choose to sponsor bring a good ROI for your business. Spell out clearly what you expect and what they will receive for their work. Review that teams performance quarterly WITH them and reconfirm your goals and what you would like to see from them to accomplish those goals.

By Sponsoring teams that feel all they need to do is sport your logo and play at your field you devalue the teams that really work and bring value to your field or store.

Please bring value back to sponsorships and be picky on team and what you want out of them.

Thanks
Dan
Team Desert Edge

Dan that is something we have been trying to do. We set goal and rules of what we expect and if they are not met then they void whatever kind of sponsorship they had.

[miyo00124]

sponsorships are a great thing they help teams alot! it also does help with bussiness because it shows that they are people who support local paintball.lso im not sure what its like wher you live but here in moncton at mission paintball younger/newer players do not pay to get beat up on the field. for the most part newer players come out and play woodsball on walkon days and experenced teams come play open practices or have private practices.and on those walk on days the owners,workers and guys there to help out (Strict Union and Prospects) help and teach new up and coming players form,gunskills etc.

[RIP2010]

My question is how do sponsored teams help the field, not how do sponsorship's help teams. I want you 'miyo00124' to tell me how a new recreational player 'noob' gets onto a speedball team at your field?

Known options:
1) get their own friends, form a team, and go get beat up to get better
2) get picked up on an existing team - remember they are a NOOB!
3) ...

[NeCanes]

My questions. Why do field want to sponsor tourney players so much. Yeah they practice and shoot paint but they want everything for nothing and do little in return. Putting your logo on their jersey does nothing for you. Unless they are reffing at your field. or helping set up and clean up you gain little to nothing. If you focus your business plan around only tourney players youll be closing your doors pretty fast.

more fields should be looking at sponsoring the scenario style players and teams. They will put have better attitudes. They play on the same woods ball fields as most of the recreational players that are just getting into the sport and will be more able to help them. Which in turn will get those players more excited about your field and coming back and getting new people to play, setting up birthday parties, company outings ect. They also buy $150 guns and put hundreds of dollars in upgrades into them and then buy another gun and do the same thing and hardly ever do they ask for a discount. They are what is keeping this sport alive not the kids out there playing tourneys.

maybe im wrong but that is what I have seen in my 15+ years of experience in the game (played pro/semipro) and business end (just own a store no field)

[7paintball]

NeCanes I agree with you to a point. Now i don't own a field, only a store but I do see value in sponsorship. I do agree that it seems like most speedball players what everything for nothing and if you give them that then that's all they will ever want. I/my store doesn't do that. We have rules and guidelines that each team must follow.
The thing I hate most about sponsorship is companies that sponsor teams with out a local field or store involved in the sponsorship, but maybe that's a whole other matter.

[RIP2010]

Reno Indoor Paintball owns 6 Amateur teams (Division 3/4/5) or basically Amateur through Beginner. Amateur are defined as never having played Pro, Semi-Pro, and or Divisions 1 or 2 in any NPPL/USPL or PSP event.

The teams are equally 'Sponsored' by each receiving the exact same discount during the pre or regular season of game play.

The teams are equally balanced through a player draft by our 6 coaches a few days after each years try-outs. The try-outs are for ranking and scouting as everyone who pays the league fee will play on a team. We also have Minimum Play Rules to ensure everyone plays regardless of ability.

Each player is required to attend/participate in one volunteering event each year to maintain their sponsorship. The event is normally kitchen/serving/cleaning at a local soup kitchen, being a mentor at a big brother big sister/ ymca facility, and or other qualifying event in the community.

[I'm_Addicted]

I'm not a field or store owner, but I am someone who is looking into assembling and coaching a new team out of a local field. I won't be asking the field owner for anything to start off, as I don't think it would be fair to do so. If however I do get a decent group of guys, I would definitely attempt to make a "sponsorship" as appealing to the owner as possible. In exchange for free entrance I would be willing to offer reffing assistance when requested and also would like the members of the team to spend 1 day out of the month making improvements to the playing fields. It would by all means be a working sponsorship, nothing is for free. The goal me making the team would be to create a speedball environment at a mostly woodsball field and growing it with the younger rec players. I know this is kind of a rough cut post, if anyone with more experience would chime in and tell me if they think this sounds like a Fair trade, please do....also I don't mean to high jack the thread lol

[RIP2010]

I'm Addicted:
Sounds like you need to email the National Paintball League and apply to become a Regional Director. This way you can run the Amateur teams for the Field and accomplish what you wrote about.

[FalconPunchKid]

Originally Posted by RIP2010

Topic: Team sponsorship

Perception(s):
* That sponsoring a team will drive traffic to the field thus increasing thus increasing sales revenue

* Wins on Sunday make sales on Monday - A Ego gun won on Sunday, so Ego gun sales will go wild on Monday

* That the team getting sponsors plastered all over their jersey has some value for anyone besides the team

* That traditional sponsored teams mentor beginners and treat them with respect and make them want to come play at the field

* That a sponsored team is an asset to the field

Fact(s):

* That sponsored teams drive away other local teams as they do not want to pay to get beat up for the benefit of a sponsored team

* Sponsored upper level teams become referees for lower level teams, but the quality and bias of the referee calls is questionable

* Sponsored teams receive discounts that stores are not eligible for so the sponsored teams undermine retail store sales

* Logos have no value. Teams have no true revenue stream and remain a liability

Please feel free to comment.

Reno Indoor Paintball
Reno, Nevada

haha.. this is such a perfect post...
i love it..
but for a serious question! will you please sponsor me.

[SHSgoalie04]

Here ismy 2 cents for what its worth to any of the field owners reading this thread. I am not a field owner anyore but was at one time a 5-6yrs ago. Paintball in my area at the time was a dying sport and I was young and wasnt financially able to keep field going.

But I am a sponsored player on a well organized team that has a local field sponsor. So here goes.............


The majority of tourney teams want everything for nothing. We have all seen it time and time again. What I as captain and manager of teams have always done for sponsors is this. We dont ask for any EVER. Field owners need to wait and see how well a team works together off the field and then on. Then if you see potential approach them with a discount that does 2 things. You still can make a little bit of profit but at the same time they get a little bit of help. This is a good start IMO.

Any team that wants it for free is typically the same team that doesnt want to help the field owner promote his field nor help the newer players. And I believe that is what kills our sport every weekend.

Set rules and regulations that they are reauired to do and if they dont follow them drop them no exceptions.


This is what we have set with our main sponsor which is a local field

We get paint discounted, but he still makes some money instead of break even or losing

we ref any and all events he holds

we get gear discounted, but he still makes some profit

we clean bunkers everytime we are at field

we DONT discuss our prices with anyone or immediate expulsion from team is required

this is only a few of the things we do

in return we get this but this is only some things

we have the air field to ourselves on his slow day from daylight to noon

we get the discounts

we get help with other sponsoring companies



This is just some ideas for those looking from a teams point of view


My main thing is this if the team wants it for free then they are not the team you want. The teams who dont mind helping and going the extra mile are the teams that help benifit a field IMO. I know good teams that want to help are few and far between but they are out there.

[RIP2010]

Very good feedback. Thank you. SHS

[reaper_6]

Definitely great info, I have to thank you for coming forward your info is very useful
.

[coyote5987]

I have been playing, coaching teams, and managed a field over past 20 years. I am opening my own field on August 1st of this year

We will not sponsor a single team. However, we will be happy to sponsor any player (tournament, scenario , recball) if they want to work at the field. We will have an airball field. But as far as catering to a team........ It will not happen.... My passion is tournaments, but the fields focus are birthday parties and groups. If a player doesn't get that they are welcome to go elsewhere to play.