Sponsors have been an integral part of the athletic experience since the first group of teams got together on a school field. From small towns to mega metropolis areas, the sponsor was not only a method of revenue to help pay for the team, but represented a part of the local community that stood behind their team. Maybe it’s the times that we are in, but, for some reason, school officials are now questioning if sponsorship (ergo advertising) is something that should be accepted in a school sports environment.
I consider myself very lucky. I had the opportunity to split my growing up experience between a small town and a large city. I know what it’s like to live in a community so small that they loving say: “the good thing about a small town is that everyone knows everyone else. The bad thing about a small town is that everyone knows everyone else”. The good part of the town is that no matter what kind of sports event was happening, we had local businesses that supported the teams. Their kids and grandkids went to school with you; you shopped at their stores and saw their ads in the local paper. They participated in every church and school event and, it was common place to see their name or logo on the school scoreboard. In a city environment, it was really much the same. The sponsor names may change and their isn’t quite the same tight relationship as in a small town, but, the sponsor represented a business that was part of the school and team.
Continue reading “The Debate: Should schools solicit sponsors for their scoreboards?”