Sponsored Ams: What's your Deal?

[drk_evns]

I've just been offered a few different minor sponsorships after a solid year of disc golf. I'm wondering how many of you play for a team sponsored by a local company/pro shop and what kind of agreement you have with them.

To be honest, I'm excited to be considered at all, but I'm wondering what's "normal" for these types of situations. Intrigued to hear about the different types of partnerships people have developed and how to make them successful.

 

[Moose33]

I of course have my deal with RDG which is pretty awesome and not quite what you are talking about.

I also have a small sponsorship with a local pro shop called Full Blast Disc Golf. They give me some gear and stuff to wear alongside my Reptilian stuff during tournaments, and I get 20% of from their shop at all times. I also get dollars to the shop when I win or podium at tournaments, weighted heavier if they are running the event.

The main draw is for me is they can get me discs from new drops and stuff for me to do videos with and I don't have to wait as long as if I was buying though a regular online retailer.

 

[EarthRocker]

opcorn:

 

[ru4por]

I have received my annual emotional sponsorship from a disc golf club. I would like to post a big thank you to Ann Arbor Area Disc (A3)!!

One route is to become active and talk about some level of sponsorship with your local clubs. Local disc golf shops are another option. We are now seeing a proliferation of business that revolve around disc golf. Tournament and event businesses, shirt printing business.....

I think you need to make a social media presence and start "knocking on some doors".

 

[4u2nv]

If you want to get on any team, social media is huge. Especially at the Am level, Companies want to make sure you are going to help them as much as they help you.

I know of a few kids who have sponsorships. They get shirts and apparel, discs, and benefits for placing high in events, especially big event. Also, they get extra merch for them acing during sanctioned events or having their photo and sponsor mentioned in publications. Usually, they get a % off merch also.

There are a few companies that have applications right on their website, usually under their sponsored players links like Discraft Underground or Essential Discs

 

[drk_evns]

I ended up accepting a retail sponsorship with a local shop tonight!

Deal is similar to Moose33's; store discount, discs & jerseys, tier-based payouts with podium finishes, early access to drops, etc.

Excited for the opportunity and to add some higher stakes to my competitive rounds!

 

[Flick Maniac]

Not sharing exact details obviously, but mine is a pretty standard deal. Apparel, new test releases, credits to store. Its pretty sweet alright. I especially like the outer wear. I got a gazillion tees and polos and whatnot, but a quality weatherproof jacket with your favorite team on it is a thing of beauty.

No tournament bonuses etc. for me. Havent been current in like 7 years I think. Its all just social media stuff and interacting with people.

 

[davetherocketguy]

No tournament bonuses etc. for me. Havent been current in like 7 years I think. Its all just social media stuff and interacting with people.

Huh. I should be "sponsored" then by those metrics. Guess I am just too big of an a-hole.

 

[The Shide]

Hey ru4por! Didn't you have a sponsorship with a pub up North? Free koozies & whatnot?

 

[ru4por]

Hey ru4por! Didn't you have a sponsorship with a pub up North? Free koozies & whatnot?

Lol....well, kind of. We had the same group of 50+ y/o geezers that would travel to Michigan State Championships, in Ludington. After a couple years of frequenting the same Ludington Bay Brewing Company, making friends and generally leading the pub in mirth and merriment, we got somewhat known to staff and owners. With a bit of cajoling, the owners lavished us with stickers, mints, can coozies and toothpicks.....and most importantly a round of free beer. We all spent an entire summer broadcasting, to absolutely ANYONE that would listen, that we were now sponsored players. We proudly stickered our cars, carts, coolers....often taking any opportunity, to pan a crowd with our coozies. Sadly, States has become more of a clusterfluk than it is worth, most of us have stopped going. It was good while it lasted and provided us with great pleasure......I am convinced, not many others felt the same, lol.

 

[davetherocketguy]

Sadly, States has become more of a clusterfluk than it is worth, most of us have stopped going.

Understatement of the thread right there.

 

[drk_evns]

Oh I'm interested to hear about states. I'm in MI and playing a few tournaments with berth opportunities this year.

What sucks about it?

 

[The Shide]

Oh I'm interested to hear about states. I'm in MI and playing a few tournaments with berth opportunities this year.

What sucks about it?

I have a few stories, too long & drawn out to try to typing out in a post.

I've played in it two or three times, with large gaps of time in between. And I think when the tourney is finished, I say to myself, "Never again." So far for the past few years, I've kept my promise to myself.

In a nutshell, it's the interactions with other competitors on the card that have really made me not want to play. Bush league BS that leaves you asking yourself, "Why am I here?"

 

[ru4por]

Oh I'm interested to hear about states. I'm in MI and playing a few tournaments with berth opportunities this year.

What sucks about it?

I have become increasing disappointed with the leadership, lead organization and berth process. The courses themselves need a lot of work. i get some of the issues. Resources, in the shape of bodies to do work, is always a struggle. The berth process lays out a lot of rules for their feature events, yet the actual tournament is not beholden to the same standards.

I am not a fan of a statewide event that is a Fri/Sat/Sun event. Forces out of town players to really take off Th-Sun. I am not a fan of moving the event to 18 holes, when all or nearly all venues are 24 holes. I also don't like moving it to a three round event.

Some of these are on me, personal preference. I have some ideas for improvement, but....honestly, I am not interested in getting involved as it is currently lead. This is a bit of my grievance. Some more of it is not appropriate for this kind of discussion.

I don't encourage players to miss the tournament. The courses, while rough are a lot of fun. The town of Ludington has started to recognize the opportunity and the event has leveraged some of that enthusiasm. It is an experience and players should check it out....regardless of my opinion.

 

[davetherocketguy]

Oh I'm interested to hear about states. I'm in MI and playing a few tournaments with berth opportunities this year.

What sucks about it?

Played in states once. That wasn't so bad - kind of enjoyed it really. The berth process however...oh boy. I went after berths 3 times for my club and each time it was a ROYAL PITA. To the point where I told club members that if they want berths someone else is going to have to deal with it. The last time really chaffed my a$$:

In 2021 we got one berth. That's totally fine. Got an email from "Nacho" that we could wait until up to a week prior to the event to award the berth. I wanted this to be a special deal for everyone so I scheduled our summer league around States. I go to award the berth to a very good player and found out Nacho CLOSED registration a week and half early. I resent the email to Nacho that we were told we had a week prior to register. He basically replied with something like, "Too bad this is our final decision."

So how was I supposed to break this to our local that made plans to attend? After seeing the disappointment in my buddies face who was going to go I can honestly say I will never play in states or pursue getting a berth ever again with the current leadership in place. I get that MDGO Is run by volunteers and mistakes happen but FFS I didn't even get an apology or some acknowledgement they screwed up.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

I was thinking now that I'm eligible for MA-50 I might try to get into states. Sorry to hear there's crap going on. My son got into Am-3 this past summer and we actually had a great time. He did great, tying for 22nd against almost all grown men as a new 13-year-old.

I haven't played since doing '98-'00, back when Al Haaksma and Gunars and all those guys were running it. I don't remember there being berths or anything like that, just show up...do I remember right? IIRC Ron Russell and Al Schack and all those good players were on the same property (Beauty and Beast) as all of us mortals. One of the temp holes had an old Mach 1 basket, the only time I have ever played on one in a round that counted. I definitely remember a few of us laughing when Mark Ellis announced through his megaphone that the players in the final 9 at one point were playing for "four skins." To this day, Wildman and I will be joking around in a casual round and announce that we are playing for "foreskins"!

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

What if I don't have a foreskin to lay on the line!????

I'm totally stealing that next time im in on Friday 1$ skins and there's "fore" on the line.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

Thread officially derailed lol !!!

I'm not sure if this qualifies as an AM Sponsorship but I'm an Ambassador. Basically sponsored for my promotion of the sport thru, leagues, tournaments and course work.

I get an allotment of Team gear and there are bonuses for podium finishes in (Pro division) B tier and above events.

 

[ChrisWoj]

I've just been offered a few different minor sponsorships after a solid year of disc golf. I'm wondering how many of you play for a team sponsored by a local company/pro shop and what kind of agreement you have with them.

To be honest, I'm excited to be considered at all, but I'm wondering what's "normal" for these types of situations. Intrigued to hear about the different types of partnerships people have developed and how to make them successful.

Not exactly "local" but it was an equivalent small sponsorship at one point... I was sponsored by Dynamic Discs for 11+ years, and the first 5 years were essentially a local am - small company type of deal.

My focus entirely through that period was trying to be as helpful as I could spreading brand recognition in my area. Dynamic gave me wholesale on all of their apparel as well as on most stock discs stamped with the DD logo or some form of DD graphic. My "perk" was the profit I could make selling those in my community. I honestly chose to just ignore MSRP and tried to get as many discs and shirts and hats and such into peoples' hands as possible. I'd usually charge $0.50 or $1.00 over wholesale, or if someone ordered a bunch of stuff wouldn't charge anything over wholesale on some of it.

I know that MSRP is there to establish a "standard" of quality, companies don't want their stuff regarded as "cheap." But, eh, I felt like the market saturation was a greater benefit to a small company in Kansas' sales in NW Ohio.

 

[ejvogie]

I still have the one disc I bought from you back then. It's still getting replaced the minute I find a 140-class glow roadrunner