There is a huge gap. It is bigger than it has ever been. It’s almost starting to make Chad’s Gap look like a 3-foot kicker.

We are referring to the gap that up-and-coming action sports athletes are facing when it comes to landing sponsorship deals and building their dreams of becoming a top pro in action sports.

Anyone who came up in the ’90s and 2000s experienced the boom of sponsorship, everyone you knew was a pro athlete, the deals were in abundance and there were so many team managers and sports agents helping to guide athletes in their careers. It was an INCREDIBLE time.

But those days are longgggg gone. Today the gap between being an amateur athlete and becoming a top paid pro is far and wide.

And with that gap comes a lack of resources, support, and guidance for young athletes and their families.

That is why we came together to start The Sports Management Mastermind.

Our goal is to provide up-and-coming action sports athletes and their families with the tools, insights, and roadmap to help them navigate their pursuit to become a professional athlete.

Because today, just landing on the top podium spot does not guarantee you will get your dream sponsor and become a rockstar in action sports.

Nowadays you need to have a strong athlete brand, an engaging social media presence, great communication skills, and manage your mental and emotional health while dealing with the pressure to repeat those podium finishes over and over again. Oh yeah, and not to forget to be a kid and have fun in the process.

And as the gap we speak of has widened and what it takes to actually “make it” in action sports becomes an exhaustive laundry list, young athletes and their parents are without the sponsors or the privilege of sports agents to help guide them on how to do all of this, let alone in a healthy and balanced manner.

The Sports Management Mastermind is what we call Driver’s Ed for up-and-coming action sports athletes and their families.

Our mission is to contribute by educating and cultivating the next generation of rippers who not only know what it takes to become a top pro, but how to do it, and understand just how important it is to be true to who they are, to keep the fun in it, and know they are supported in building their dream careers until they get to the level of landing their dream sponsors or sign with a sports agent.

We are filling in the gap. And we invite you to join us.   

Author: Sue Izzo