Once the disc golf calendar hits the last months of the year, we walk into the annual disc golf hot stove season. Just like the off seasons for baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and others, this is the time when we see professionals change teams with a new sponsorship heading into the new year.

One of the busiest people during this time of year is Jonathan Poole. Poole, the Team Manager for Innova Discs, is tasked with finalizing sponsorships with current and new competitors for the upcoming season.

We talked with Poole about the overall state of disc golf sponsorships, what it takes to become sponsored, and more.

Another disc golf season has come to an end and we’re in the middle of disc golf’s version of the hot stove season. We see many of the top competitors remaining with their respective sponsors, but it is becoming more and more common to make some moves before the true competition season begins. As the Innova Team Manager, this must be a busy time for you. What is your role during this hot stove time period?

“Innova evaluates each of their sponsored athletes and ambassadors at the end of every season. We also sort through hundreds of additional requests for sponsorship, to see who might make a solid addition for the upcoming year. This process can take several weeks to complete.”

We get many sponsorship requests here at ATDG, but it surely isn’t the number of requests Innova gets during the course of a year. When you’re looking at competitors to potentially sponsor, what characteristics are you looking for?

“One of the most important things we look for is ‘why’ they want to represent Innova. It is easier to build a meaningful relationship with someone who understands your brand, and sincerely wants to represent your company above all others.”

You also have a few tiers of sponsorships, correct? How do each of the levels differ from each other?

“Levels vary in terms of the number of discs a player is eligible to receive, entry fees provided, travel stipends, etc. Each level is earned based on things such as player rating, number of events played, world ranking, tour money, tour points, and other comparable statistics.”

In your mind, what is better, reaching out to Innova for a sponsorship or letting the play on the course speak for itself?

“Both are extremely important. With hundreds of great players out there seeking sponsorship, you simply have to compete off the course as well. We need to see evidence that you believe in yourself and have some goals in mind for the future. We need players to articulate why Innova should choose them and not someone else. How you handle your business off the course speaks volumes about you in ways that your tournament stats cannot.”

Have you ever had your eye on a potential athlete for a sponsorship only to pull the plug late in the process?

“The only player that comes to mind is Ricky Wysocki when he was in between Prodigy and Latitude. I spoke to Rick a few times, more as a friend than anything else. Rick was unsure what he wanted at that time so I offered him the best decision-making advice I could. But since it was not obvious that Rick wanted to re-join Innova we opted not to make him an offer.”

Who are you welcoming to Team Innova for 2016? What do they bring to the team?

“We are excited to welcome our current team members back in 2016. This was a fantastic year in terms of camaraderie and success on the course. Our goal now is to preserve the good team vibes we have already established.”

You’ve also placed a big emphasis on the Innova Junior team over the last few years with many of the team members becoming well known names at the big disc golf events. While the big names in the Open and Women’s Open division are notable, how important is it to focus on the next generation of disc golfers?

“Working with our juniors and their families has been one of the more rewarding disc golf experiences. It is important to keep an eye out for young talent, but we also want to help mentor our juniors in other areas of their lives as well. We want this experience to help them develop confidence, composure, humility, and other characteristics that will benefit them throughout their lives. And we are rewarded by their playfulness and enthusiasm for the game. They are fun to watch and to be around in general.”

Speaking of the Junior team, we’ve seen Paul McBeth be a common visitor and supporter of the young guns. How valuable is his influence?

“Paul is the Junior Team creator and Team Captain. He has been extremely generous with his time and our juniors recognize and appreciate it. I believe to each of them Paul has been invaluable.”

As the sport continues to grow with multiple tours and stops around the world, is sponsorship of individual athletes becoming more valuable than ever?

“We believe so. Media exposure continues to evolve and expand. Demand is there. It makes sense for companies to align themselves with athletes who are a good match for their brand.”

Do you think the overall state of sponsorships is where it should be? It might be easier said than done, but do you wish you could offer more in the terms of sponsorships? Cover travel, entry fees, etc… for more competitors than you already provide?

“I believe things are in a good spot within the disc golf industry. Collectively we are all doing more to support the game’s most promising athletes. I believe disc golf is behind in terms of other, non-disc golf companies recognizing the potential value of supporting these players. Hopefully disc golf media efforts will reach even larger audiences, sufficiently attractive to other mainstream companies. A prospective sponsor does not generally care how great the game is; they simply want to know how many people are watching. We are getting there.”

In a perfect world, what is the one thing you’d add to disc golf sponsorship overall?

“Health insurance. I don’t see that much is discussed about the injuries our top players can face from time to time. To many I’m sure that may sound ridiculous in a world where NFL players for example, are getting absolutely crushed each week. But anyone with a health issue – athlete or not – is put at an even greater risk when they cannot afford to get proper treatment. As companies offer greater rewards to top athletes, at some point you have no choice but to address the ‘what if’ scenario.”

With the growing importance of sponsorships to help with costs, how do you feel about the mixed bag sponsorships or even those who throw the mixed bag without sponsorships from the respective companies? In your mind is it smarter to have that support from one company or throw what works best for you and try climb the leaderboards?

“Aspiring competitive golfers should be careful not to let the appeal of sponsorship cloud their judgement. Throw what feels good in the hand. Throw what you trust and what you believe will make you better. I would not compromise those decisions simply to obtain sponsorship. I think you should be true to yourself first.”

“Nikko Locastro comes to mind as a good example. Nikko is extremely talented. He is also one of the game’s freest of free birds. I respect the courage he has shown in the past, declining sponsorship when he truly didn’t believe it was best for him. Not too many people would do that.”

How excited are you for this 2016 season?

We are all very excited. This should be one of the more interesting years in disc golf history.

Thanks to Poole for the conversation! We’re anxious to see how sponsorships evolve over the next few years and what the competitors decide to do moving forward.