Opinions please

[bruno22rf]

My 15 year old has been shooting since the summer-once every 2 weeks and, I think, is getting on really well. His average at Sporting over the last 3 shoots is 83 which brings me to my question. Is he good enough to maybe shoot for a Team and gain sponsorship and if so, how would we go about it? I know that his scores are not earth shattering but his trigger was faulty on 2 of the last 3 shoots and this last Sunday both beads had fallen off when we took the gun from its slip.We all think our kids are amazing no doubt but to see him shoot and beat the vast majority of the adults is an amazing feeling and I would really like to see him go further in the sport.

[Hubris]

GMK (the beretta importers) run a sponsorship scheme for young shooters. They will fit and loan him a new gun and pay for his entry into certain competitions. The scheme was called something like "Beretta Young Shots", google will tell you the rest.

 

This link might help.

 

http://www.gmk.co.uk/content/pdf/young-shots.pdf

 

Good luck,

 

H.

[Rupert]

Where has he put these scores in? At your local? At a CPSA registered shoot? If its the local then shoot the latter for a more realistic appraisal of the lads abilities.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

If you wish to see him go further be prepared to sink some serious money in to practice targets and get out to as many registered ESP shoots in your area.

 

Get him to shoot in all weathers, as a fine weather shooter will be no good when having to shoot off in the cold and wet for a trophy/cash.

 

Get his gun fitted to him and decide on a plan of action, get the calendar out and plan shoots throughout the year, especially the English and British Opens.

 

Good luck to him.

[poontang]

My 15 year old has been shooting since the summer-once every 2 weeks and, I think, is getting on really well. His average at Sporting over the last 3 shoots is 83 which brings me to my question. Is he good enough to maybe shoot for a Team and gain sponsorship and if so, how would we go about it? I know that his scores are not earth shattering but his trigger was faulty on 2 of the last 3 shoots and this last Sunday both beads had fallen off when we took the gun from its slip.We all think our kids are amazing no doubt but to see him shoot and beat the vast majority of the adults is an amazing feeling and I would really like to see him go further in the sport.

 

What can he give to a potential sponsor?

 

You're going to have to dig deep if you want him to move forward. If he's good enough sponsors will find him.

[vmaxphil]

Look to getting him to shot for his county to raise his profile

[EdSolomons]

Sponsorship is hard to come by and what little there is is toughly contested.

Get him onto the registred circuit (club targets will be very misleading ability wise), shooting selection shoots, doing majors, and conducting himself well.

It will probably take a few seasons to get his profile up if he does well, and the junior standards are very high, but a discounted rate for shells, practice etc should be achievable, and possibly a gun at trade price and other possible extras if he goes well.

Good luck and enjoy the journey!

[Orangeclay]

Look for an acomplished coach who can put him on a correct technique to avoid bad habits.

 

Once he learn how to control his shooting he will enjoy shooting all his life. No matter how talented he is, the bad habits will limit his performances down the road.

[clayman]

You are unlikely to get sponsorship for any-one who is simply a developing fair shot. Sponsor's need a return on their investment, and only look to working with the very best, those that have got to the top, not those trying to get there.

As already suggested, the route is to get him shooting for the County under CPSA registered rules. The county committee might give a helping hand if he has promise, free coaching, a few shells, and Bloggs guns might give some discounts or freebies to carry their name on the back of his skeet vest - but proper sponsorship is hard won and he will need to be at the top of his county in the juniors before any commercial sponsor is likely to even consider him, and then he will need to beat the rest of the competition from other counties for the very scarce amount of sponsorship available.

[dashman1]

Rubbish

Edited December 21, 2014 by dashman1

[fenboy]

As others have said chances are you are going to have to fork out a awful lot of your own money before you see any off a serious sponsor .

 

If your son in getting those scores at the same ground each week it does not tell you much , he needs to get around different grounds and be shooting registered competitions and doing very well in them before any sponsor will want to show a interest .

 

I would suggest that no one will make the top grade shooting just once every two weeks .

 

Good luck to your lad though.

[welshwarrior]

As other have said embrace the CPSA county system and shoot lots of grounds skill comes with experience and is hard won. Find a good coach in his chosen discipline who will help him achieve his potential faster and also have good local contacts.

 

I've yet to see a junior properly sponsored unless they are competing and winning above county level, the rest relie on bank of dad.

[dashman1]

Agree with above but sponsorship comes in many forms and a little is better than none ATB and good luck

[clayman]

Absolutely, anything is better than nothing - There are two types of sponsorship. The type that is a gift, here's a helping hand - some cartridges, a lift to the ground, free training, a skeet vest, free clays at a ground - provided by friends and family, local business, county committees and the like. This is helpful to the young shooter, but commercial sponsorship - here's a competition grade gun, or all your cartridges for the season, or paid flights to shoot internationally - is very hard to get.

Commercial sponsors provide this level of sponsorship from their marketing budgets. Its not a gift, they wish to expose their brand and will have an annual budget for sponsorship, and a pre-determined criteria for to whom they give this - i.e, we will set aside X £,000 and distribute this star shooters followed by the public who have achieved such and such levels of prowess.

Smaller amounts of commercial sponsorship may be given indirectly - county committees can often get discretionary sponsorship to re-distribute, a gun shop or whomever gives the county 5000 cartridges to distribute at their discertion to their rising shooters.

 

Nobody is trying to put a damper on Bruno's aspirations for his son, and the general context of the advice given by some of the top people in the country in the threads above is sound.

 

Competence at club level does not mean a lot - a shooter needs to show their abilities at Registered CPSA shoots and seek help in the first instance from friends, family, and the county committee, who will be only too pleased to help if he really is a junior champion, but the amount gained in this way will just be a helping hand and Dad will still need to subsidise the costs of shooting to an appreciable degree.

Edited December 21, 2014 by clayman