Birchfield Harriers ask for help to sponsor athletes

Birchfield Harriers in Birmingham have made athlete sponsorship costs known to the public on their site, asking for help to ensure a handful of athletes receive some form of sponsorship.

The club don’t receive funding from UK Athletics or the National Lottery, but instead rely on membership fees and sponsors to run the club.

They have detailed the different ways in which you can sponsor the athletes in a shopping list format.

Costs have been made public on the site: Copyright Birchfield Harriers

“The cost of being a full time athlete does not come cheap”.

The club is currently sponsored by major company Nike amongst others, however with the lack of financial funding for its athletes the club have turned to the Internet in hope that others are willing to help their talent athletes.

Many of the athletes featured on the site receive no funding and are forced to finance their career through part-time jobs.

Those interested in sponsoring an athlete will be able to meet the athlete and watch them train at a sponsors event.

Not as expensive as majors, sponsorship costs are still steep ranging from the cost of kits to massages. 

Athletes who underperform lose sponsorship

What happens if athletes under perform? Well according to Brian Brady of the Independent 1,800 Olympic hopefuls were kicked off a funding program after falling below personal standards.

The World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) guarantees athletes up to £55,000 to cover training costs in the run-up to the London 2012 Games.

However the WCPP withdrew 1,800 athletes after they fell below their set personal performance standards.

Athletes pulled from the program have to now either gain private sponsorship or work part time to keep their Olympic dreams alive.

After having his annual £20,000 funding removed 4x400m runner Richard Buck said: "It's a huge disappointment. I had improved and won international medals". The athlete is now stacking shelves in Tesco to fund his training.

While some athletes lost funding through retirement, many have lost their funding because of injury or because they have been judged as underachieving.

Funding

Between 2009-2013 the funding given to help athlete training has sky rocketed to £264 million, however the increased budget has meant instead of being able to help more athletes fund their training, the demand for better training performances out ruled this.

Chart created with Chart go

The chart looks at the changes made to athlete training funds between the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

However the budget given to fun 34 Olympic and Paralympic sports in the 2012 games is £50 million short of the amount originally considered. This means that 12 sports have been considered as medal "no hopers" and have received virtually no funding.

How sponsors can help athletes

UK Sport have issued a document titled "Get Sponsored" which targets athletes who are aiming to reach the World Class Pathway, and guides athletes through the sponsorship process.

How can sponsors help athletes?


Money is often an issue when it comes to sponsorship, however there are many different ways in which a sponsor can help support their athletes.

The table shows the different ways in which sponsors can help athletes, it leaves the question are these forms of help more crucial than a lump sum?

Athlete sponsorship - the legal side

Under the advertising compliance law, agency Reed Smith have released a guideline that sponsors can follow when it comes to marketing campaigns surrounding the London Games.

In 2006 the Government alongside the International Olympic Committee passed the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act, which together with the Olympic Symbol Act of 1995, offers protection to the Games and their sponsors.

The British Olympic Association has informed the 560 UK athletes that they must sign a confidential rule book, titled the 'Team Members Agreement' failure to do so could result in disqualification from the Games.

The law surrounding athlete sponsorship is very complex and failure to comply with these rules can ultimately see athletes banned from performing in the Games. During the Olympic Games a team of 'branding police' will be checking venues to ensure that manufacturers logos are removed or hidden during the Games.

Kit

A strict clean venue policy has been enforced by the International Olympic Committee, which means that sponsored athletes are not permitted to wear branded sports kits which carry logos other than that of the official kit sponsor.

For example during the 2012 Games an athlete sponsored by Nike will not be allowed to wear their branded clothing, instead they must only wear Adidas whilst in the arena.

Athletes are banned from wearing any item that carries individual sponsored logos during the Olympic trials, events and pre or post race interviews.

If an athlete is found to be in breach of the IOC's rules, they can then ban athletes from participating in the 2012 Games.

Appearance

Athletes have been place under a strict code surrounding tattoos, haircuts, piercings or contact lenses. These must not issue commercial or political messages.

Any athlete who has existing tattoos that the board believe make political statements must be covered up.

Endorsements

Athletes have been placed under strict rules when it comes to mentioning brand names. Restrictions are in place to stop athletes being seen or mention sponsors such as Nike, Puma and Cola - as these are not official sponsors.

Under the rules of the competition, competing athletes are not permitted to endorse products during the period of the games.

However if an athlete is chosen to endorse products or services for a company, then these advertisements must be published either before or after the Games - and not during the Games.

Any competing athlete found to appear in adverts during the period of the Games may be banned from participating.

However this is one exception to this rule: well known former athletes. Those who are not competing are allowed to be featured during this time.

For example athletes like Dame Kelly Holmes.

Although no association should be made to the Games during these adverts otherwise this is an infringement of the London Olympic Association Rights.

Social Media


A social media and blogging policy has been created to help athletes understand the restrictions on blogging.


During the Games period (18 July - 15 August) athletes are not permitted to blog about sponsors or endorsed products, unless it's an official sponsor.

For example Usain Bolt will not be able to Tweet about drinking Pepsi (as Coca Cola is the main drinks sponsor)

Audio and video content from the athletes' village and any Olympic venue is banned from being uploaded to the Internet.

Athletes are banned from reporting on competition or comment on the activities of other athletes.

Press


Athletes are banned from attending any press conferences that have not ben arranged by Olympic organisers wearing official kit or medals.

Non-Sponsors


Sponsors who are not official Games sponsors are not allowed to advertise slogans such as:

"Supporting our athletes at the 2012 Games!"
"Help us make it a Gold 2012"

Companies are not allowed to use images that suggest an association with the London Olympics

As part of a promotion non-sponsored companies are not allowed to offer tickets.

A website has been set up in order for both organisers and athletes to report any ambush activities they may encounter. OlympicGamesMonitoring.com has ben set up, however it is inaccessible to the public and unauthorised users.

To protect sponsors brands and broadcasting rights, these strict rules will affect every athlete and business in the UK.

Athlete Personal Awards

Athletes under sponsorship from the National Lottery are entitled to apply for a personal award - the Athlete Personal Award (APA). This award serves as a means of helping to pay for athletes living and sporting costs.

Successful athletes are then compared to a number of criteria's - including the level at which an athlete is capable of performing - before receiving their award.

Podium athletes are then separated into three performance bands:

• Band A - Applies to athletes who have won medals at Olympic of World Championship level
• Band B - Athletes who finish in the top 8 at Olympic or World level competition
• Band C - Athletes who are likely to be major championship performers, but flexibility is given so that individual sports can set their own criteria. 

Depending on the band that athletes are placed into directly affects the amount of money they will receive as part of the reward.

• Band A athletes - £27,737
• Band B athletes - £20,804
• Band C athletes - £13,869

This system was first introduced in 1994 to allow a new stream of funding to support the UK's most talented athletes in their attempts to compete and win in the Olympics. 

The reward system begins on the 1st April and runs for four years following the Olympic cycle. 

Funding from the National Lottery

Over the past few years The National Lottery have been responsible for the funding of certain athletes. Funded athletes are given world class support in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics and beyond.

Since the funding began the National Lottery have been able to help talented Olympic and Paralympic athletes land 438 medals.

The National Lottery funding gives athlete three levels of funding:

• World Class Podium - this type of funding and support is given to potential 2012 Olympic medal hopefuls. 
• World Class Development - funding and support is given to athletes with the potential to be competitive at the 2012 Olympics. 
• World Class Talent - this targets athletes who have the potential to win international medals by 2014.

Support given to Podium athletes is set to be worth around £55,000 per athlete, and depending on the sport athletes working at the Development stage are estimated to receive funding worth £30,000. 

In addition to this all athletes in the company's sponsorship program are entitled to apply for a personal award - Athlete Personal Award - This award is paid directly to the athletes and contributes to the athletes living and sporting costs. 

All athletes sponsored by the National Lottery receive support from:

• Coaching
• Training and competition support
• Medical and scientific services
• Access to the best facilities in the UK

Lottery funding also contributes to living costs as they understand that athletes who want to succeed in the market need to make full time commitments to their chosen sport. 

Funding schemes run from December 1st to the end of November yearly, this allows UK Athletics to undergo assessments on athletes, which review both current funded athletes and potential new athletes. 

Athletes are assessed using an Athlete Performance Template (APT) which is used to measure a wide range of factors which contribute towards being a successful Olympian. 

In previous years the template has looked at the ability to perform under pressure and whether athletes are able to perform and compete in this years London games. 

In 2008 the National Lottery funded 33 athletes at podium level, however in preparation for this years games the company have doubled the amount of athletes sponsored at this level to 68. 

However overall the National Lottery back over 1,200 athletes from various sports and are supported by professional players to help reach their ultimate goal.

breakdown of funded athletes, pie chart has been created using Chart go

"I almost felt as if they didn't notice or care"

An exclusive interview shows the hidden stories of a sponsorship with Adidas.

Being an athlete isn't easy, its long days working on your discipline, grueling hours of training to remain at your peak, constant drugs testing and striking that balance between diet and lifestyle. So to many, securing a lucrative sponsorship deal takes a massive weight off your shoulders, enabling you to focus on your one goal of winning. 

But what happens when that deal goes sour? I met up with someone whose life has been turned around by these tying sponsorship contracts. They have shared with me their first hand experience of what it is actually like when that multinational corporation turns against you. And now, they are ready to tell the rest of the world just how easily these companies can make you or break you. 

The meeting began quite awkwardly, it is obvious that this subject is one that she doesnt like to talk about much. She admitted to myself that it's a subject she says away from, I get a feeling that this interview will help her get over her fears and there could be a lot hidden which I didn't previously realise. 

To many of you would empathise, knowing that if someone has been a victim of a past event they may not want to relive it, like many, my source is scared of the repercussions that talking to me may have on her life now. "it upsets me, that was my past and if things went well it would of also been my present and future. Sadly I messed that up, nothing can be changed now, I have learnt the extremely hard way."

Her saying this has left me wanting to know, what exactly happened with her sponsorship deal. She was with a high profile company and as we get talking over a coffee, which seems to have relaxed her a bit, I begin to find out what exactly happened with her sponsor. 

She was touted at a young age, having been a keen runner she progressed early on into regional and district competitions. However her true potential was during national qualifiers in which she cleared each round with ease and managed to place in the finals of her race. "At the end of my race some people came up to me and said they would love the opportunity to sponsor me to train and become professional." Naturally, like any athlete she spoke to her family and running coach and accepted the deal, "it was something I loved to do, the thought of getting paid for it was just too good to turn down."

I began to wonder how this could all go wrong for her, she was set up with a five year contract, brand new sports kit to wear when training and competing, as well as free accommodation and a wage of £2,500 to just run once in a while.  

"When things are going great, you forget you are still tied to a contract." 

This one sentence said a thousand words. My source had disobeyed the rules set out in a binding contract by her sponsor. Now all I was interested in, is what she did to break them.

She was selected by her national placings to go forward and compete at a European qualifier. She was with other British runners who she had got to know and befirend over many years competing with them, some of the runners had sponsors like my source did, however some were still desperately looking for one, "having a sponsor just adds to that sense of security for you." 

However is having a sponsor all that great? My source reveals how friends she knew got to wear whatever kit they liked at the time and what they thought best enhanced their performance. Having a sponsor could potentially prevent you from being your best, if you se tied to their products it may not be as good as other makes are.

One of her friends was living that free sponsor-less life we are talking about, she was very close to our source and they had known each other through running for many years. At this one race she was wearing a competitors trainers, "I really liked them on her, we are the same shoe size so asked if she would mind me trying them on." After doing a few warm up laps in them it was obvious that these trainers were more comfortable on her and she felt she would be better performing in these rather than her own branded ones. Her friend had a second pair of the trainers on her so let her wear those ones to race in, even though her contract stated she should wear only her brand at competitions. I was up against European champions so didn't think I was going to win or even place so didn't see the problem. "I will be out next round so who cares" I thought to myself. 

However, she was actually running a a better pace than usual and kept getting through to the next rounds. "I was elated I didn't even notice what I was wearing I just couldn't believe I kept winning!" When she made it into the final 12 she was too focused on winning that she didn't want to ruin her chances by changing back to her proper running trainers. She didn't win that competition, but she did place in the top three, which meant she had to stand on the winners podium with a case of 'the wrong trainers'. Her picture got into a few newspapers, she looked stunning with a toned body and her sponsors branding all over her, it all would of been perfect if it wasn't for the bright red running trainers with a competitors branding on her feet rather than her paid branding. 

When the pictures went to press the next morning, her feeling of elation at placing so highly in this competition was gone. Sponsorship all about that winning race, by sponsoring someone you are backing a winner. When that athlete crosses the line they are meant to encompass a winner, wearing the clothes of a winner, so when consumers see the images they see how you should dress to be the best in this discipline. Her friend had also won in her races, the papers cashed in on both of the girls wearing the same shoes, it was basically free advertising to the other brand.

It was inevitable that she would soon be contacted by her company. They took a few days to approach her, "maybe I was such a good deal for them that they didn't care?" But in fact that was not the case. They called her up and asked her to come to their offices the next morning at 10am. She had no idea what she was about to expect, "in hindsight, I wish I bought a lawyer in with me or something."

She went into a conference room with ten suited and booted people all sat round a big table clearly waiting for her, using her given feminine charm she wore a tight blue office style dress and push up bra, if she didn't have a lawyer she may as well use what she had got. Although a few of the men stared, clearly impressed at her effort, she knew once the top dog begin to speak that those efforts were in vain.

They informed my source that she had violated her terms of agreement by advertising a competitors brand. They had various sales figures of how the competitors running shoes had increased in sales by a certain percentage within the period of time since the race and how she was responsible for that figure. They highlighted profit areas on products she was endorsing which were low. Her contract was ended with immediate effect and sadly she was then sued for breaking the clearly outlined clauses on her contract. On top of this she was also ordered to pay the company back for losses, she lost her flat which they had provided her for and provide back rent for the time in which she was living there. "All I could keep were my running clothes that had been used, all other stuff had to be returned."

In total she ended up having to find over £170,000 for them. Which she clearly did not have available "and they knew that". She had to move back to her home town with her parents and ended up getting a job at a supermarket because she had no qualifications. Sadly, after many months of struggling to pay back what she owed she ended up with no choice but to declare herself bankrupt. "I only managed to pay them about £15,000 they dropped the case and just basically left me to be penniless."

She began to feel lost and yearning for her old life of living in high class London and running for her wage. She fell into a state of depression, spent days at a time in bed, just watching the world go by whilst she stayed still. However, that running passion in her finally stirred again ad she knew she should get back up on her feet, "I went to college as a mature student and got some qualifications". She became a carer and begin to earn a decent wage in a job she enjoyed. After a few months she then began running again, "at first just as exercise and then I joined a local running club." It was hear that her life finally changed for the good, as she met a guy who was part of the running club. They began dating and quickly knew it was meant to be so moved in together. She didn't keep her past from him though, he knew all about her bankruptcy and issues with the company. "I don't have long left on it now and once that goes, that will be the end of my old life and my new one can now finally begin."

What I find touching about this is how through all her hardship she has still remained strong, even at telling me this story, clearly it upset her but she thought about the good things which have come out from it. She will never be happy at how things went wrong for her, but at least she has learnt to accept them.

"I see people in the Olympics now and feel that could of been me, but my silver lining is my fiancé, if things hadn't of messed up I would never of met him, in a way I am better for it. I miss my running but I do it now for enjoyment rather than making a living. Now a days I am a carer, I love my job, my home and my fiancé.... People don't know about my past because that felt like a different me, I have changed now and I believe it is for the better..."

I would like to thank my source for agreeing to tell her story at how being sponsored by such a multi-national company can alter your life in so many ways. For some these deals are brilliant and a chance at a future in a sport they love, but you must always remember those who have had to suffer a lifetime for one small mistake. These companies are not forgiving, they may forget you like they have with our source, but they are ultimately the only winners within sport.

Unsponsored Boxer VS Sponsored Boxer

‘I’ve sold my bike and my I-pod before to get new boots and a new gum shield’. Callum Morman, a 14 year old boxer from Telford, Shropshire discusses the drastic measures he has to face to fund his boxing career. Due to not having a sponsor. 

 

Callum Morman, 14 and Joe McAllister, 18 both have been attending Donnington boxing club and have been close team mates for several years. Despite the parallels, between the two boxers there are major contrasts between been a sponsored boxer and been an unsponsored boxer in this highly competitive sport. Whilst living local to the club Callum explains how he sometimes finds it difficult to make it to boxing lessons.

'The early sessions start at 5 but I have my paper round at 4.30 so sometimes I don't get it done in time. Which means I miss the lesson! The paper round is to pay for my membership, and my gloves and gum shield, when I'm sparring.'

Callum draws on to some of the comparisons between the 'Sponsored' and the 'Unsponsored', in the world of boxing. 'People with sponsors are able to train more often than non sponsored boxers. Everything is paid for them and they don't need a job'. 

Team mater McAllister is fortunate to have a sponsorship with a local plumbing company to cover all his boxing expenses. But Callum shares the harsher struggles he has to cover his costs.

'When I can't afford to get boots or head guards I sell things so I've got the money. I've sold my bike and my I-pod before to get new boots and a new gum shield... It's something I have to do when I haven't got any money, If I didn't do it. I wouldn't get any better at boxing.' 

Joe previously explained the psychological benefits of having a sponsor.

‘Having a sponsor sends out a message out that you’re a worthy boxer. It also sends out a big message to your opponent and having that little psychological edge, is exactly what your looking for before a fight’.

Callum uses the psychological edge of his opponent been sponsored to his advantage, for his motivation and drive to succeed in the fight.

‘Whenever one of us is going into a fight and we know were against a sponsored fighter there’s always banter going on. We all want to beat the guy who’s sponsored because then it shows were good enough to be sponsored, its great for motivation’ .

Who do Adidas sponsor?

Adidas is a major international sports sponsor, with its sponsorship budgets on the rise, it's important to look at how many athletes Adidas currently sponsor.

(Source: Charlee Greenhalgh)

The infograph shows that Adidas currently sponsor a wide range of athletes from across the globe, however these results show that their sponsorship of athletes heavily fall within that of rugby and football.

Olympic Athlete Sponsors

Following the spreadsheet which focuses on the sponsors for a selection of this years athletes, check out the graph I have created to make this information clearer.

(source Charlee Greenhalgh)

As expected the big sponsor names such as Adidas, Nike, Aviva, BMW, British Gas and Speedo are amongst the companies sponsoring more athletes in comparison to smaller companies.

How endorsements are helping top female athletes to cash in

In his article for the Daily Mail, Alex Miller claims that the marketability of Britain’s top female athletes prior to the 2012 games, has allowed them to negotiate endorsement pay rises, and also the chance to take on additional sponsors.

He states that:

“The highest profile female British athletes typically take on up to four major endorsements, each worth up to £150,000 a year”.

Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton, Jenna Randall, Keri-Anne Payne and Laura Bechtolsheimer have been able to cash in on the games by substantially increasing their incomes. 


Each of these have noticed a major increase in their salaries from endorsements. The table below looks at the difference between their 2011 income and their 2012 income. 

(source: Charlee Greenhalgh)

This table compares the female athletes and looks at their sponsors, and how they have changed in the last 12 months. 

(source: Charlee Greenhalgh)

Jessica Ennis

Jessica's sponsorship deals with Powerade, Aviva, BP and Olay are estimated to be worth around £150,000 each. 

Her contact with Aviva requires her to only work six days a year, so that her training schedule remains untouched. 

Her kit sponsorship deal with Adidas is thought to be the biggest deal for a Team GB athlete, the deal is estimated to be worth around £320,000 including performance related add-ons. 

Victoria Pendleton

In the last twelve months Victoria Pendleton has been able to take on three new sponsors, which has allowed her income to increase by 50 per cent. 

Her lucrative sponsorship deal with Hovis is estimated to be worth around £150,000 - the deal involved TV, print and on-pack promotions. 

Keri-Anne Payne

Keri-Anne Payne's new sponsorship deal with Max Factor is set to be worth around £70,000 a year. 

This year female sponsorships have been significantly increasing, and these five women are set to become some of the highest paid athletes in the run up to the 2012 games.

Types of UK Sponsorship

The UK's sport sponsorship market is valued at around £400 million according to UK Sport.

Types of sponsorship:

There are different forms of sponsorships that athletes can receive, some companies choose to dress athletes head to toe in gear whereas others will provide athletes a place to train during the run up to the Olympics.

(source: Charlee Greenhalgh)

Shirt / Team Sponsorship:
Shirt and team sponsorships are the most common form, and are mainly used in sports such as football. For example Samsung Mobile sponsor Chelsea FC. 

Squad Sponsorship:
Squad sponsorships are common during the Olympics, examples of this include: Aviva and the UK Athletics Team. 

Athlete Sponsorship:
Athlete sponsorships are when a brand chooses an athlete to sponsor, which includes providing them with branded kit and training. For example Nike sponsor Wayne Rooney.

Event Sponsorship:
Event sponsorship is used when events such as football matches are sponsored by companies, for example the Barclays Premiership.

Venue / Stadium Sponsorship:
Venue and Stadium sponsorship is when specific buildings are sponsored by companies, and example of this is the O2 Arena. 

Broadcast Sponsorship:
Broadcast sponsorship is when sponsors cover an event that is broadcast on media platforms. For example Heineken sponsor ITV's Rugby World Cup coverage. 

Small Athlete Sponsorship Deal:
Small athlete sponsorships deals tend to help athletes on a smaller scale compared to athlete sponsorships. Deals can sometimes include places to train or kit to help them. For example a small sponsorship deal could be a hockey player receiving four free sticks a year.  

What lengths will Olympic athletes go to to be sponsored?

With the Olympic budget spiralling out of control the sponsorship system continues to fail struggling athletes in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games. 


Through this lack of support athletes are turning to drastic ways to compete equally with other athletes and obtain sponsors. The example of Olympic runner James Ellington highlights the real struggle within the athletic community and the failure of the sponsorship system.


Olympic sponsorship is a form of survival for most athletes, especially those who compete in non-paying events such as the Olympic Games. Sponsorship can cover the cost of living and training for amateur athletes in several different forms including private, corporate, and team ownership.

According to findasponsor.com “Olympic sponsorships contribute more than 40% of Olympic income” and with the Olympics fast approaching sponsorship deals for athletes are becoming more sought after. One athlete who took his search for an Olympic sponsor to the next level is UK Olympic runner James Ellington who after struggling to find a sponsor put himself on Ebay in a last ditch attempt to secure a sponsorship deal.

Although Ellington managed to secure a place on team GB without any kind of kit endorsements or sponsorship he still was desperate for commercial sponsorship so he could be able to compete to his best potential.  Ellington revealed in a recent BBC interview (see the hyperlink for a link to their article and a video of his televised interview)

In this interview Ellington discusses how Olympic funding doesn’t filter down, in some cases, where it’s needed most, leaving talented athletes struggling to compete but supports “Pin athletes”.  It is transparent that the budget favours the more recognisable athletes such as Usain Bolt and also the Games’ reputation e.g. the opening ceremony.

But why is this? Ellington’s story highlights where the current Olympic sponsorship system and budget fails to support individual athletes. In a recent report the Daily Mail breaks down elements of the Olympic budget and states that the budget is currently 10 times what was previously predicted in 2005. The report states that 


"The predicted cost of the games when London won the bid in 2005 was £2.37billion. That figure has now spiralled to more than £12billion and could reach as much as £24billion, the Sky Sports investigation claims...This figure includes the build of the venues and the £600million police and security budget. The government has just allocated an extra £41million (with a £7million contingency) from this budget to LOCOG to pay for the Opening Ceremony, which is set to cost £81million total"

Reading through this article you can see that a lot of money has been allocated to the Olympic legacy, stadiums and legalities but there is no mention of support for the athletes themselves or any sponsorship allocations.

It is becoming increasingly clearer that athletes have to take sponsorship matters into their own hands and attempt to get their own sponsorship deals. With all the previous gold medal winners and recognisable faces getting the easy ride athletes who have previously struggled with injury or are less well known are getting left at the side lines. Ellington managed to secure a sponsorship deal with a shaving company but will all struggling athletes have to take such extreme measures, and should they have to? Shouldn’t the Olympic budget, organisations such as LOCOG and sponsorship system prioritise our athletes? 

Interview with Sponsored Boxer Joe 'Marvelous' McAllister

‘Having a sponsor sends out a message that you’re a worthy boxer, it also sends out a big message to your opponent and having that little psychological edge is exactly what your looking for before a fight’. Joe ‘Marvelous’ McAllister an 18 year old, sponsored boxer from Telford Shropshire. Joe talks in depth about what it takes to attain sponsorship in one of the most brutal sports in the world.

With an impressive amateur record of 11-1-0 Joe briefs on how he was first introduced to world of boxing.

 ‘When I was young my Dad used to have a punch bag in the back garden. I often saw him hitting the bag and I remember always wanting to join in. For years I wasn’t allowed, because my Mom insisted. She never wanted me to get involved in boxing. But eventually after much persuasion she finally let me come along to Donnington Boxing Club’.

Joe explains that the sport of boxing is often given bad publicity.

‘Boxing’s always been a sport which is stereotyped as being two thugs getting in a ring with each other and trying to hurt one another. When the truth is they don’t see the hard work, dedication and discipline the sport takes. You occasionally get professional boxers who let the sport down and give it a bad name like recently David Chasora. But that’s not what the majority of boxer are like, when boxing was first came about it was considered a gentleman sport’.

With a light hearted humor in his voice he says. ‘I don’t think its quite like that anymore but were certainly not the trouble making thugs were interpreted to be!’

A local plumbing company is the proud sponsors of the ambitious young boxer, and Joe doesn’t hesitate to discuss his thoughts on sponsors within his sport.

‘Sponsors play a major contribution in boxing, having a sponsor sends out a message out that you’re a worthy boxer, it also sends out a big message to your opponent and having that little psychological edge is exactly what your looking for before a fight’.  He pauses,  ‘Special sponsorship events take place where each boxing club will select boxers to compete against each other with sole aim of getting sponsored’, 

Joe expands by saying.

 ‘These events are huge for an amateur boxer, it’s a great privilege to have a sponsor and fighters really train hard in the lead up to them. There also held in nice places’. Bursting into laughter he says, ‘Which makes a change let me tell you!’

Continuing on the theme of sponsors Joe enlightens the benefits involved of having a sponsor.

‘The sponsors also pay for our individual clothes and equipment like gum shields, gloves, towels, hand wraps, boots, gowns and any other bits and pieces we need, as well as the membership to the club. I think its quite well known that most kids who go in to boxing clubs aren’t that rich. So when it comes to the big events they struggle to get the money to buy all the little extras you need like vest, gum shields, headguards etc.’

Joe speaks of some of the harsher realities some boxers face ‘There are people in this club that have sold their bikes to buy gloves and pay for their membership because their parents cant afford it’. He openly says, ‘Its not nice to see what great champions have done it in the past. Manny Pacquiao used to live on the streets selling donuts to people in traffic jams, now his the best boxer in the world, so it can all be worth it!’

Joe’s reaction was instantaneous to answer one of the biggest questions in boxing at the moment Pacquaio or Mayweather? ‘ Pacquaio definitely ! Pacquaio has more power and lightening fast hands as well as the quickest feet in the game. Mayweather been ducking him for ages, he’s only trying to wait until his slowed down!’

Interview with unsponsored 400m runner athlete

'People who have sponsors are at an advantage because they have support from other people. That extra backing can sometimes be the edge in such a competitive sport, where the line of failure and success are so slim’. Brandon Timmins, an 19 year old 400m runner, part of Shrewsbury athletics club, discusses the 'Highs' and 'Lows' of been an athlete.

 
Brandon explains how he has been involved in athletics since a young age, 'I’m 19 years old now, and I’ve been competing in athletics since the age of 5. Like so many kids, I always looked up to my older brother who inspired me into the world of athletics.' He jokingly says. ‘At about the age of nine it was quite evident that I was never going to be a power athlete, my strengths always lied in the running side of things. As a kid my parent were always telling me to slow down !’ 

 
Brandon talks about how he came to choosing the 400m as his specialist event.
‘Its defiantly one of the hardest events to train for – I can tell you that from experience’. He raises both eye brows. ‘I kind of fell into it – the longer distance races never really suited me and the quicker sprints like the 100 and 200m I was never quite fast enough for’.  Brandon then says, 'A lot of the events are favoured by genetics. And shier hard work won’t always be the key to success, so for me lied the 400m and 800m events at which I could run in very good times’.

 
Brandon has run some very impressive times in the 400m and has placed very high in the larger events around the country, however at this moment in time he has yet to find a sponsor. Brandon had a insight as to why this may be. ‘In most of the running events you find that the athlete’s who get sponsored are the ones who have the best times and who regularly place high in the big county competitions’.

It is often reported that unsponsored athlete’s struggle to fund themselves whilst having to train so rigorously. He continues to say, ‘ I’m quite fortunate in that the 400m isn’t the most expensive sport to fund. We naturally have to have days off in order to recover our body’. He expands, ‘ During this time I work in a local coffee shop which pays for all my gear as well as the membership to the club and a gym’.


Brandon expresses his opinion on the topic of sponsorships saying. ‘I think they are very beneficial for the athletes that have them. They certainly help financially in paying for things such as gym memberships, travel, equipment and attire’. 

He openly states,  

‘I feel people who have sponsors are at an advantage because they have support from other people. And that extra backing can sometimes be the edge in such a competitive sport, where the line of failure and success are so slim’.

What’s next? Following the interview with Brandon, I will be meeting up with a sponsored athlete for their views on sponsorship, and an insight into the process of sponsorship.


Are you an unsponsored or sponsored athlete? Tweet us or comment below.

Olympic Athlete Sponsors

With the Olympics just around the corner it is important to look at athletes and their sponsors. It is especially important within this investigation to look at whether winning athletes gain higher sponsors compared to those who have just earned their place in this years games.



UK Athletics have become a popular sponsor among both new and experienced athletes. They work as part of the Power of 10 which is a program set up to help selected track and field athletes improve their performance for the London 2012 Olympics. Athletes in the program are then rewarded with gifts which will aid their performance from the group of companies that sponsor the Power of 10.

which helps athletes to improve their performance ready for the Olympics.

I have also found that while top athletes do secure major sponsors in the games newcomers have also managed to secure sponsorships with major companies such as Nike, Lucozade and Adidas.

A new lead from this could be to look at what major sponsors look for in athletes and whether their performance in previous games helps influence the decision.