So i got a question for sponsored players. I had a sponsorship for a short while that just kinda happen to fall into my lap however It inevitable didn’t pan out. But what i was wondering is how others might have acquired their sponsor? Were you just an avid competitor, a regular in the community, that guy that post weekly videos, did they approach you, or did you harass you favorite company to show your dedication? I’ve heard of various people taking these routes and i was wondering if there was more that I’m missing and maybe figure out which method is more common. Now i know to much of any of these can backfire and i’m not necessarily fishing for how to get sponsored… not that i’d turn one down. but I’m more or less curious as to “how it goes down Per-say?” I’d also like to hear what draws people to companies. I for one look for quality and morales. i could never represent someone that can’t properly represent themselves because we all represent a community and when you misrepresent that community by being a “hoodalum” you make everyone look bad as a whole and make people and other communities less interested in being involved. it really is all about growth and development in both ourselves,the community, and our mad skills
I’m not sponsored, but where’s the question in that? It seems to me like you are just telling your story.
i guess when you post in a forum you should expect to be trolled instantly. kinda why i avoid them
I was just trying to show where I’m coming from with the question because I’m really not looking for a sponsor. i want to know how, wher,e when, why, and what keeps them going? Its hard work and not as rewarding as you’d expect.
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I’m just curious which companies you would say no to cause they are, as you named, “hoodalums”. I can’t really think of any that come across as hoodlums so that’s why I ask.
He was just asking a question… You’re the one being impatient after only half an hour of posting too btw.
But in all honesty, it is kind of a strange question. Basically you’re saying “Im not looking to get sponsored, but I want to know the best ways to get sponsored. But I don’t want to get sponsored.”
However, you were never getting “trolled” in the first place anyways…
With that said the general consensus is that the best way to get sponsored is to get yourself noticed, whether it be by placing at contests, doing something unique that not many others do, posting a lot of videos, etc. It’s also said that those who ask for sponsorships are a lot less likely to get them.
I heard this one football player hit his wife and knocked her out. I guess all football players beat their wives.
(Generalizations about a community should never be drawn from the actions of one individual.)
Doesn’t mean they aren’t.
lols you guys are kinda attacking what i am saying already though isn’t that the definition of being trolled. I used to troll forums when i was a teeny bopper which i am not anymore i am not far from it and closer to being an old man. i generally try to show everyone respect. so i apologized. The question did seem evident to me though and I wasn’t calling any company a hoodalum what i was trying to say is that just like cocky smack talking skaters can get skateboarding banned the same can happen in any community. I’m also not looking for a sponsorship as of right now because life is busy so i don’t think i could offer them what they need. however in the not so distant future it looks like it’ll be slowing down so it was something i was humoring. i was sponsored once for a short while and it was alot of fun but that point in my life was very chaotic and i didn’t feel that i could live up to the obligations that it comes with it so i resigned. I am looking into gathering info on the matter and trying to source out but maybe i came to the wrong place
That escalated quickly… haha
And Zorro look really hard for the question mark… I will help you out… Right after the first sentence…
In his defense i added it XD
the road to sponsership,is being a dedicatd thrower with atleast ome subtle knowledge of the community,and then learn and express yourself into the community,be it via video,competition one thing i see that gets a good rep with all of us is charity work,maybe just make videos of throwing on the street for change and donate to a worthy cause,maybe make a video of you passing out yoyo’s to an orphanage and teaching them,or just being a polite individual to all that are interested in what do,be patient and express yourself buddy. i understand what you mean by “hoodlums” there not many raunchy acting people throughout the skilltoy community, “one bad apple spoils the bunch” type of thing doesnt happen much here or anywhere else we throwers gather. just be yourself dude. being sponsored is great and all but not something you should aim for throughout your throwing,i definitely would love to be sponsored and that goes for most,but just do it for fun buddy.
Well thats whats been keeping me goin for the past 5 years lol its always fun. just feel like im losing inspiration that i can’t gather from videos anymore. my tricks are getting stale to me and i don’t have many people to throw with. i’m goin to start competing again im decided on that. just need some zest or a purpose maybe a goal? Also i wanna write an article on this particular topic if i can get enough info. but thanks for the very legit post
I’ve done alot of that i have given away dozens of yoyos and i helped put together the northeast oregon yoyo club and got it housed in the library it carried on for awhile but eventually flopped my community wasnt ready for that sorta action given away dozens of yoyos
The OP is new to posting on here, so bear with him on the question. I happen to think it’s a good question. The trouble is, not a lot of sponsored players frequent the forums, so it will be hard for you to get a real “poll” result relative to the most popular route to sponsorship.
I think your post is right on, and the answer to how people get sponsored varies, as you know. I see some people who seem to get sponsored without much of a “following” at all. Or, I could be wrong, and I’m just not particularly interested in them. :-\ These are some I’ve read about over the years.
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A player has great competition success, approaches their company of choice to apply, then the company accepts, and they are sponsored.
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A player has great competition success, the company takes notice, makes a sponsorship offer, and the player accepts.
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A player competes, does better than most, but shows a lot of potential to become great. A company notices that potential, and the player has created a “buzz,” or following, so someone will sponsor them while the competition is asleep at the wheel. This pays off in the future too, when that player gets seasoned and really starts to shine, the company will too.
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A player does not compete often, or at all, but blogs often, and generates a core yo-yo following. Companies want to market their products, competing is not the only way to get it done. This person usually has some skills in videography, graphic design, teaching tricks or anything the company deems valuable to their marketing plan.
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A player finds a mentor who is a professional, and they get in an apprentice (YoyoJam) or Protige (YoyoFactory) relationship with that pro player. That mentee can be guided toward getting better, and if they do, they can potentially end up on a top level team.
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Make friends, because if someone running that company likes you enough, and they can use you in some way to help out with the business, you’re in. If people in yo-yo are watching your every move, that might be enough.
Anyone can add to this list, but it seemed to me that the OP was wondering about these means of reaching the end to sponsorship.
EDIT! Once again I find myself being ninja-d by Totalartist with a post that is far better than my own. That being said I’m just going to leave up what I posted anyway. 
Well played TA, well played…
From my understanding of how this all works: (hmm, needs a pinch of salt)
Obviously it’s hard to label out a precise list of “what to do to get sponsored”, because it’ll all come down to the individual owners of each company and what they’re looking for. Different companies may be looking for different things:
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Some may be looking for pure success, in which case you’ll need to start racking up contest wins.
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Others may be more interested in who you are as a person, and willing to sponsor you because you’re a good bloke, as well as a good yoyoer.
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Others still may be interested in just how marketable you are, regardless of your contest history or personality. If you’re face is all over the place and you’re getting talked about a lot, then you stand a good chance.
Or it could be any combination of the above, along with other individual criterea.
From my observations, it doesn’t really seem to matter much to any of the larger companies whether you are active within the online yoyo community. We have very few sponsored players that are actively posting on here, so it doesn’t seem to be a criteria. It may help with some of the smaller, forum-active companies though.
So in the question of “how does one get sponsored?”, the massive generalisation of an answer is “by being someone that people have heard of.” Whether that be with good videos, winning lots of contests or generally being someone that everyone loves (Vashek!), if your name is out there and people are paying attention to you, you stand the best chance. Once you’re noticed, then it will be down to the individual manufacturers to decide whether or not they feel like you’d be a good fit for their company or not.
If people mention your name and the general community (including the manufacturers) says “who’s that?”, then obviously you have further to go; on the flipside, someone like Jensen Kimmitt could pretty much go to any company right now and have a good chance of sponsorship.
So getting your face out there and getting noticed should be your first port-of-call before you start hunting for sponsors. 
^ And a very good point of your own, in that what a “sponsor” is looking for, depends greatly on their image, and business plans for the future. No need to do anything other than be yourself.
The company will be asking what you can do for them, and whether they can satisfy you as well with your yo-yo goals. Remember, it’s a two way street.
You may need a bigger laddle for this pot.
Not my fault you missed his point. Whether something should or shouldn’t happen has no effect on whether it does or does not.