Individual Player Sponsorship Opportunities

Note for any competing USA players seeking sponsorships: If you're going for an individual sponsor, rather than a team sponsorship as discussed on the Sponsorship Opportunities page, you would be the only one dealing with the sponsor, they would not get their logo on all 20 shirts (it would have to be added to a sleeve as a velcro patch or worn on a hat or something like that), they would not get the website banner/link, they would not be mentioned in the worldwide press release distributions and they would not be an "official sponsor" of the team. Essentially, you would be negotiating everything separately and offering your own benefits to the sponsor. That doesn't mean there aren't good opportunities for individuals to gain sponsorship, particularly for most USA qualifiers who are not only holders of multiple world and national titles but who are likeable and articulate. For example, someone that type player would be ideal for sponsorship by Sears, Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods, or maybe Costco, since they sell foosball tables and the player would be perfect to go store to store throughout the Christmas shopping season and give demos (and set the floor models tables up correctly and even put lube on the rods which none of them ever do) and give away store gift  certificates for discounts on the tables or other sporting goods to anyone scoring points against you. Or by game company or coin operators to do demos/help them sell tables to operators at their semi-annual open houses and on behalf of the distributor you could teach the operator's route personnel how to properly maintain tables for maximum revenues. (This last one was done by very many players back in the 1970s.) Anyway, just a few ideas. Whatever you do, get it in writing and set dates for the start/end of the agreement.

Note that the 2008 ITSF Promo Video (on the Press Photo/Video Bank page) may be useful in helping you secure a sponsor.

See also this USTSF forum for Players Sponsorship Best Practices ideas.

10/2008 Special Information:
With regards to sponsorship/reimbursement by ITSF and/or USTSF, be aware of the following (w/r to 2008): For any player that is a USTSF qualifier (e.g., for U.S. National Champions in Open Doubles, Women's Doubles/Singles, and Senior/Junior Singles and Doubles), as opposed to being a ITSF qualifier (via top 16 in ITSF points or placing in top 3 of ISTF World Championship Series tournaments, etc) which does have guaranteed (by ITSF) reimbursements, as advertised on the USTSF website both last year and this year (and as executed last year) there is no guaranteed travel reimbursement by USTSF for anybody. USTSF does advertise that it will strive to gain airfare sponsorship (up to
700 Euros) first for Junior National Champions (Doubles and Singles and a chaperone), then Women's Doubles and Singles National Champions, then Men's Doubles National Champions if possible. It's our goal, but has never, ever been a guarantee. Also of note (like ITSF does) there is no duplication of airfare travel reimbursements between either singles and doubles for any of the above. Nor is there between USTSF and ITSF reimbursements if/when awarded (ITSF reimbursements take precedence). Again, as advertised,  if someone already receiving travel reimbursement from ITSF (either in an official capacity or as an automatic winner from an ITSF WCS tournament), you would not receive any duplicate reimbursement from USTSF if we were to gain that much in sponsorships. (Right now, the only ones almost fully covered are the Juniors, and we still have to allot an amount for a chaperone). Some confusion seems to have arisen regarding how Mary posted the qualifier on her U.S. Open flier (which USTSF did not get to review for
consistency prior to release). Mary's commitment to USTSF was that in the event the USTSF was unable to raise the funds needed to cover all the National Champions that qualified at her events (U.S. Open and KY State), she would cover the balance. Since we have the Juniors mostly covered, that means that if USTSF doesn't raise the needed funds for reimbursement for the National Doubles team and Women's winners then she'll pick up the remainder. In effect, she/IFP would become the missing sponsor. However, USTSF is pretty actively working towards our fundraising goals, so if all is on track Mary may not have to pay out any at all.