The Importance of Crowdfunding for Less Popular Sports and Amateur Athletes
Sports should be accessible to all, and sporting careers shouldn’t hinge on ensuring financial stability, especially among disadvantaged yet talented athletes. Sports crowdfunding is emerging as a useful way to raise funds for sportspeople who would otherwise have to give up on their dreams due to a lack of access to more conventional funding models.
The sports stars we know and love often seem to emerge fully-formed on the world stage, with little evidence of the preceding journey – the daily challenges and hurdles that had to be overcome to get to their finest hour. No matter how naturally talented they may be, athletes inevitably need access to top-level training, equipment and facilities in order to become great in their chosen field, and all of that costs money. Hence the essential issue of sports funding, which isn’t always distributed equally or fairly.
Enter crowdfunding: via a range of online platforms, athletes can reach out directly to fans and supporters to ask for financial contributions towards their sporting endeavours, and use the proceeds to access the facilities they need to excel, where previously they may have had to simply give up on their dreams.
Sports crowdfunding allows donors from all over the world to help athletes reach their potential, by supporting them in any way they can. Contributors can enjoy and share in their favourite athletes’ journey and success, while the athletes and sporting organizations themselves can afford the opportunity for greatness, while sharing their enthusiasm with a wider audience. This is especially true of amateur and less popular sports, which often suffer from a lack of exposure among the general public, and are denied funding from traditional sources as a result.
How Crowdfunding Can Help Aspiring Athletes
Crowdfunding has grown in popularity with the rise of the World Wide Web, as a means of raising funds for individuals or sporting groups, teams and institutions who bring together promising athletes.
If you feel strongly about their progress and want to share directly in their career and success, you can donate as much or as little as you like via a series of online platforms, and spread the word to other potential donors and sponsors. In exchange, you will receive updates on the athletes progress, a sense of accomplishment and altruism, and even personalised rewards, ranging from thank you notes to meet-and-greets and beyond.
To set up a crowdfunding campaign, all you need is a page that tells the story of the athlete in question – what they hope to achieve, why they need funding, and how they intend to use the funds they’re trying to raise. Donors who believe in their potential are invited to contribute however much they can in support of the athlete or organization, to help them progress towards their ultimate sporting goals.
Campaigners can pitch fundraising ideas for the individual or sports team in question, set a goal and challenging their network to raise the necessary funds, using strong messaging and social media engagement. In this way, the athletes can interact with their supporters, promote their campaign and reach as wide an audience of potential donors as possible.
How Crowdfunding Favours Less Popular Sports and Amateur Athletes
The world of professional sports is unforgiving at the best of times, where funding is often limited and distributed according to outside forces, beyond the control of the athletes and organisations involved. Not everyone has access to the best facilities, equipment or training, and the lower down the ladder you are, or the more niche your sport, the harder it is to get on the funding ladder that can make your dreams of sporting greatness a reality.
By its very nature, sports crowdfunding addresses this imbalance by putting the power back in the hands of the athletes themselves, by way of their supporters. Anyone can raise the necessary funds to ensure their ongoing progress and success, providing their story is inspiring enough to capture the hearts and minds of the fundraising community. Once the campaign is underway, athletes can make the most of their network of fans, and hone their craft without having to worry about where their next pay check is coming from.
The more crowdfunding catches on, and the more campaigns are successful, the less impact inherent financial inequality will have on athletic performance. This will ultimately increase competition and standards across the board, and place the emphasis firmly back on natural talent, which is so often extinguished unnecessarily under traditional funding regimes.
So if you’re struggling to fund your sporting endeavours, or know someone who is – rather than look for sponsors via conventional channels, why not turn to online sports crowdfunding, and reach a massive audience? Create your campaign today, and let everyone know about your story. Give your supporters a chance to get to know who you really are, take them on the journey with you, and share your enthusiasm for your sport!
