Resources · Already competing
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Your kid is already competing. Here’s how to handle sponsorships and brand deals, what to watch out for, and how to find the right coach and training.
Sponsorships and brand deals
A brand reached out. Now what?
The honest questions to ask first, how sponsorship actually works, the gotchas, and what California law says about her earnings.
The full guide for parents
Brand deals and sponsorships: a guide for parents
Should we even do this? How sponsorship usually works, from free gear to a paycheck. Scams, contracts, taxes and the law. Written for parents who are new to all of it.
Read the guide → · 17 min
What’s inside
- 1Start here
- 2Should we even be doing this?
- 3Ground rules for a healthy sponsorship
- 4How sponsorship usually works
- 5Baby steps: how to actually get started
- 6When a brand reaches out first
- 7Reading the paperwork
- 8Money, taxes and the rules
- 9For girls
- 10Other good guides
The gotchas, up front
- 1
It’s mostly gear, not money
Nearly every sponsored kid gets product or discounts. Cash comes late, if at all.
- 2
Never pay to be sponsored
“Ambassador” kits, “just pay shipping,” and fees to agents are sales pitches, not sponsorships.
- 3
Read it like it’s your contract
Brands usually have a parent co-sign. Watch exclusivity, image rights and how to get out.
- 4
The money is hers
In California, 15% of a minor’s earnings under a sports contract goes into a trust in her name.
Training
Finding the right coach and program
What kind of help she needs, how to vet a coach, what a smart training week looks like, and how to keep her healthy along the way.
The full guide
Training: finding the right coach and program
What kind of coach she needs, how to vet one, what a smart training week looks like, and the safety rules every parent should know.
Read the guide → · 6 min
What’s inside
- 1Start here
- 2The kinds of help she might need
- 3How to find a good coach
- 4Safety rules every parent should know
- 5What a good training program includes
- 6A sample week
- 7For girls
The short version
- 1
Start with the club coach
Weekly coaching and a crew of friends does more than any fancy program.
- 2
Vet every coach
Certification, background check, SafeSport training and CPR. And watch a session first.
- 3
Strength training is safe
Supervised, technique-first strength work protects young athletes. Pediatricians agree.
- 4
Rest is training too
A day or two off a week, breaks from her main sport, and 8 to 12 hours of sleep.
What’s next
See the rest of the ladder
Every sport’s path from her next contest up to nationals, national teams and the Olympics, and what each step takes.
Snowboarding
USASA, the Futures Tour, the Rev Tour, the U.S. Team. What each one is and how kids climb from one to the next.
10 min read→
Mountain biking
The SoCal League, NICA, USA Cycling and the World Cup. How the races work and how riders move up.
9 min read→
Skateboarding
CASL, Exposure, Tampa Am, USA Skateboarding and LA28. The contest ladder, and the other road through video parts.
8 min read→
Surfing
WSA, NSSA, Prime, the WSL and LA28. How heats are judged and how surfers move up, starting at the beach down the street.
7 min read→
See it in person
The best way to learn is to go watch one.
Our events calendar lists contests and races near you, every sport, every level.