TeamSnap’s Youth Sports Sponsorship Encyclopedia: A Guide For Marketers

You’ve come to the right place: TeamSnap for Brands has all compiled all of the elements that make up youth sports marketing campaigns. TeamSnap empowers brands to create authentic relationships with families through youth sports sponsorships. Our network of 25 million authenticated users and 20k+ youth sports organizations makes it easy for brands to reach families in the moments that matter at the field, at home, and on the go. But what exactly are the elements that bring youth sports sponsorships to life?

In this article we will explore all of the potential elements of youth sports sponsorships and how TeamSnap for Brands can help you bring youth sports sponsorships to life. 

A:

Awards: Sponsoring an award goes a long way. Any kid who wins a trophy will be beaming at it with pride and showing it off to their friends and family. Your brand by association will equate to that happiness. Brands that find ways to sponsor awards, giveaways, and be a part of these special moments will build a lasting impression and gain brand recognition.

App Banner: App banners can help you get your brand in front of users while they are in a decision-making mindset. Display your brand on multiple pages at the bottom or the middle of the app. 

App Native Highlight: A native experience in the app on the main home screen that makes your brand feel a part of the game experience.

App Interstitial: Take advantage of the full-screen real estate on the app to deliver brand messages and drive consideration when families are in a decision making mindset.

B:

Banners: Youth sports organizations will hang or display a banner(s) with client’s artwork during the duration of the sponsored season. Banners are a great way to build brand awareness and recognition by product placement. Banners are also the most cost-effective branding asset.

C:

Coupons: Coupons can help incentivize families to buy the sponsor’s product. 

Community Events: Sponsoring community events related to youth sports not only supports local initiatives but also provides excellent exposure for businesses. By associating their brand with these events, marketers can demonstrate their commitment to the community and gain positive brand recognition.

D:

Digital Media: Digital media sponsorship offers brands the ability to reach youth sports families anywhere – on-the-go, at the field or even from the comfort of their own home. Some examples of digital media assets for youth sports sponsorships include the ability to create an app-banner, a home screen takeover, and more.

E:

Event Emails: Don’t let anyone forget you. This is an excellent way to get your brand in front of families’ inboxes. You can get Emails sent out to teams and coaches including Event Reminders and Messages.

Event Sponsorship: There are many ways a brand can activate on-site and engage with families through event sponsorships. There’s the possibility for giveaway distribution, fundraisers, coupons, spirit weeks, tabling opportunities, in-person product sampling, seminars, and more.

F:

Fundraiser: Local businesses can collaborate with youth sports teams to create fundraising partnerships. This approach not only helps teams raise necessary funds but also offers businesses an opportunity to connect with the community and drive direct ROI.

G:

Game Jerseys: Get your branding on the jersey that kids wear during games, in the community and parents wash at home.

Game jerseys drive the highest number of impressions and help the athletes and teams in the jerseys build an emotional attachment to a brand, especially since kids keep jerseys for many years. The game jersey placement also helps with brand awareness and overall logo recognition. 

Giveaway Distribution: Get your product in the hands of families. Sponsor will provide leagues with shelf-stable items to be distributed to league families throughout their league seasons. 

H:

Home screen: Get your brand in front of the youth sports families, coaches and players by placing yourself right on the home screen. This placement is impossible to miss and will drive brand awareness. 

I:

In-App Banner: An In-App banner is a great way for brands to target youth sports families on-the-go. Think parents that are constantly checking their phone for their child’s location, game score, schedule, and more. An in-app banner pops out and is located at the bottom of the screen on different pages within an app; giving a brand lots of visibility as youth sports parents scroll. 

J:

Jersey sponsorships: One of the most common and impactful forms of local advertising in youth sports is jersey sponsorships. Local businesses can have their logos featured prominently on team jerseys, allowing them to gain widespread visibility during games, practices, and even team photos. It doesn’t have to be a game jersey, you can also have practice shirts, home game and away jerseys, and more!

K:

KPIs: It’s essential to establish goals and measurements when planning out youth sports campaigns. TeamSnaps reporting dashboard track all of your digital and on-site KPIs throughout the season

L:

Letters of Support: Have league commissioners in sponsored youth sports organizations sign a letter of support that details the sponsor’s commitment to the community. You can also receive letters of support from families and coaches thanking you for supporting the community. 

M:

Memorabilia: Supporting youth sports through award sponsorships can be a meaningful way for businesses to connect with young athletes and their families. By sponsoring trophies, medals, or certificates, businesses can leave a lasting impression on participants and contribute to the success of local sports programs.

N:

Navigation (Google Maps/Apple Maps): Help drive awareness! Getting your brand in map feature will likely be used by busy parents on the go looking for which field they are heading to!

Newsletter Exclusive: Get your brand placed in a monthly newsletter. An ad placement takeover will drive awareness and consideration.

O:

Online promo: In today’s digital age, social media plays a vital role in local advertising. Businesses can engage with youth sports teams through their social media channels by sponsoring posts, sharing team updates, and hosting giveaways to increase brand visibility and foster a sense of community support. 

P:

Polls/Surveys: One way brands can measure the success of their sponsorships is through polls and surveys sent out to the club or organization. Find ways to connect and execute pre and post-season surveys sent to parents in sponsored youth sports leagues to measure the lift in key brand metrics. 

Partner Spotlight Emails: Leverage our coveted emails to drive deeper engagement and influence purchase. TeamSnap can send a dedicated email to 3.7M unique opted-in users in the US and Canada! 

Product Distribution: Sponsor will provide youth sports organizations with shelf-stable items to be distributed to families on a specific day during their season. Product distribution should be used for all tournaments.

Q:

Quizzes: Drive deeper brand engagement with exciting rich media opportunities. Develop creative from quizzes, countdowns, games and more!

QSR Coupon Campaigns: TeamSnap can work with sponsored youth sports organizations to get sponsor coupons into the hands of youth sports families to incentivize families to buy the sponsor’s product. 

R:

Referees: If a brand can display their logo on referee uniforms, businesses gain visibility throughout numerous games and tournaments. Referees also have the ability to be influencers within their local communities so can help your brand gain visibility.

Rich Media: Drive deeper brand engagement with exciting rich media opportunities like video, digital sponsorship, native ad units, and more!. TeamSnap will develop the creative from quizzes, countdowns, games and more!

S:

Signage: Placing signage at local fields or sporting facilities are an excellent way to generate exposure for businesses within the community. If you build it, if you show it, they will come! This form of local advertising allows marketers to target both participants and spectators, ensuring their brand is seen by a captive audience.

T:

Team Fundraising Sponsorship: Local businesses can collaborate with youth sports teams to create fundraising partnerships. This approach not only helps teams raise necessary funds but also offers businesses an opportunity to connect with the community while driving direct ROI..

Tabling: A great on-site activation opportunity for sponsor representatives to engage with league families.

U:

Unique/Dedicated email: Think parents check their email frequently? You’re not wrong. If you leverage TeamSnap’s dedicated email service you can drive deeper engagement and influence purchase. 

V:

Volunteers: Youth sports often rely on volunteer referees, and through on-site sponsorship there will be better word-of-mouth branding because of their influence within their local communities. By prominently displaying their logo on referee uniforms, businesses gain visibility throughout numerous games and tournaments.

W:

Warm-up Shirts: Be a part of the week and pre-game by sponsoring warm-ups shirts. These warm-up shirts are worn during practice, games, and in the community!

Web Placements: Take advantage of a more focused mindset to share your message and drive engagement with coaches, team managers and a smaller portion of parents during the season on their computer

Web Banners: Get your branding present on the org’s website or social media page during the sponsored season with a click-through link included.

Y:

Yard signs: Yard signs are hard to miss at youth sports events as families are often scrambling from field to field looking for the right field assignment. 

Youth sports organizations will display a yard sign(s) with your company’s branding in a high-traffic location during the duration of the sponsored season. All signage will be posted on game days for the length of the season. Leagues will provide a photo of the yard sign placement.  

Youth sports sponsorships offers marketers a front row seat and position on the field with youth sports families through digital media assets, branding, various forms of communication, event and activation experiences, and other services. 

Now that you’re the MVP in activating youth sports sponsorships, download our complete guide to youth sports sponsorships, for more!