Athlete’s Guide to Sponsorship

So you want to be a pro athlete? Awesome. Maybe you just want to work with a few companies that you love and get a bit more support for your racing career, even though you plan to keep your day job. But … How do you actually do that? You put in the training hours, you start doing well at races, and then a big team or company just hands you a suitcase full of money, right? 

Sadly, it’s not quite that simple. There are thousands of amazing athletes all over the world who can’t make a living from their sport. By the time you shell out cash for the gear, the race entries, the travel, the lodging, the food, the massages, the gear you need after you wear out the first set, it’s freaking expensive to be a pro. That means you need to hustle and find a team that can pay you living wage, figure out a job that you can work while pursuing your sport, or cobble together enough sponsorships to keep you afloat. 

That’s why Molly Hurford, a longtime endurance sport racer, author, team manager, coach, and podcast host wrote “The Athlete’s Guide to Sponsorship: An Athlete Entrepreneur’s Guide to Dreaming Big, Racing Smart & Creating a Reliable Brand for a Long, Successful Career.” Now, she’s bringing the information from the book together with even more real world experience in this Class. And hosting it on @prokit means even more access to the valuable tools you need to boost your athletic career. 

Whether you’re a young racer on the brink of scoring some serious results and looking to take your career more seriously, or you’re a masters-aged athlete hoping to support your racing habit while serving as an ambassador for brands you truly admire, this class can help put you on the path to sponsorship success. While it won’t help you get the race results you’re looking for—you’ll need a training plan for that!—it will teach you about the business of fitness, from finding the right brands to approach to developing a racer resume and website to cultivating your own personal brand identity through your social media, real life and racing. Want to become a more marketable athlete? If you want a thriving career in sport, this class is for you. 

Athlete’s Guide to Sponsorship Class Includes 

1. 4 Video Lessons – Sessions with Molly covering the sponsorship hunt (and how to tell when you’re ready), crafting a racer resume and website, navigating social media as well as race day, and all the nitty-gritty details that come with handling sponsorships, from finding the right contact to reading contracts
2. Monthly Live Q+A – Open to all athletes who’ve taken the class
3. Reading Material – Reading material for each lesson provided in a PDF
4. Resume / website feedback – Athletes will have the chance to submit a resume, Prokit profile and/or website for feedback from Molly

The Athlete's Guide to Sponsorship from Prokit on Vimeo.

Testimonials about Molly’s sponsorship book and past classes

• “…extremely informative for any athlete trying to get sponsored or take charge of their own programs.”
• “As a young cyclist, this book helped me immensely…I read it straight through! It’s helpful to go back through and take notes on each piece. Interactive sections throughout the book are also amazing!”
• “I’ve worked with Molly on two different events, one at Rapha NY and one at Rapha DC. She’s incredibly engaging and a natural host, sharing information on training, nutrition, comfort on the bike, and pretty much any other bike related topic you can think of, in a constructive and positive way. Between the two events, it’s been amazing to see her tailor the presentation to the very different crowds, making the talks feel custom-fit for each audience we had.” -Ed Nessen, Rapha Cycling Club D.C. Coordinator
• “Molly is very well-researched and her manner of speaking is honest, funny, and easy to grasp. She is well-versed in a variety of topics and easy to talk to about the most sensitive of them!”  -Mia Moore at The Edge Athlete Lounge
• “Molly is a fantastic presenter, even from 4000 miles away, she was able to really connect with the audience of my women’s coaching conference.” -Chantal Thompson, HP Coordinator and Special Projects Coach at the Ontario Cycling Association

Listen to Molly talk about her book to get a feel for what you’ll learn in the class on The Sonya Looney Show as well as the Ironwomen Podcast.