Fast time vs. being marketable; Interview with Tommy Schmitz

Tommy Schmitz  is currently an elite middle distance runner for Saucony but had a bit of a different way of getting to this point.  He ran Marquette University where he graduated in 2007 but at the time not really considered a star of the Track and Field world.  Since college his has been running for Wisconsin Runner, and Saucony. In February Schmitz qualified the US indoor championships and continued running well into the outdoor season. 2009 was a  breakout for Tommy as he has set PRs of 3:41 for 1500 and 3:57 for the mile.

On the right track:  How did the relationship with Saucony come to be? Some would call your  college career mediocre, how did you convince a company to sponsor  you when you are not a big name coming out of college?

Tommy Schmitz: Wow...You get right to the point. Mediocre?That actually might be a complement after the college career I had there were  many injuries and disappointments in my college career.  But I was able to have a few semi-respectable performances late in my college season. I actually got very lucky with Saucony wanting to represent me.  But I started with building a relationship with them while I was working in a running store.  I was a member of their Hurricane program that got me in with the company.  Most running companies actually have these programs which is a good place to look if you’re a non-sponsored athlete out of college.  But after that I was able to break 4 minutes in the mile which showed to them that I just may be "good" after all.  That's when they approached me with the "Elite" contract which I have now. But still as of now I am pretty sure I make more money forthem through my job at Santa Barbara Running Store than I cost them.

OTRT: As an athlete, what do you do day to day to make yourself more  marketable?

TS: The most marketable athletes are the fastest athletes.  Plain and simple. But Facebook and Twitter have definitely helped.  I mean Twitter is the reason I am doing this interview now.  But I definitely feel it’s important to be promoting the brand as much as possible.  It’s amazing how much traveling in my Amp Pro2 Recovery Calf Sleeves will be for conversation starters.  Many people don't know about track but are able to tune in because they now "know someone."

OTRT: How has social media / technology changed how you market yourself inside  the sport? Perhaps the sport as a whole?

TS: Technology has definitely changed the way we view sports.  Sites like Flotrack are giving the youth of today a look at role models before only seen in the Big 3 sports.  I was in a bar about a year ago with some friends  and someone came up to me and asked if I was Tommy Schmitz.  He had said he watched many of my races on flotrack.  Races in Europe than nobody would be able to see now can be shown live. Cross Country races now to. It’s almost expected that races now be online.  Technology definitely allows for a bigger fanbase to runners that before had just been known by friends and family.

OTRT: When it comes to getting into the larger meets,  what are the factors for you to gain entry?

TS: Getting into the bigger meets is 70% time based and 30% who you know.  So definitely building up relationships is key.  The last few years I have gotten to know a few meet managers around the country and it definitely helps when you can just call them and say you’re interested in the race andthey will let you know straight up if there is a spot.  It’s easier and less stressful that way.  But ultimately regardless of how fast you are itsdefinitely important to have an agent who can get you into races by using his contacts or just sheer number of athletes he will be bringing may help get you the chance your needing.

OTRT: What are some actions that you think could be taken to gain a wider fanbase in the sport of running?

TS: Twitter for sure but really the faster you run the more people want to watch you.  It’s that easy.  So if I continue to improve on the track, hopefully the people supporting me will increase. But the new running clubs definitely help. The Bay Area Track Club and Rogue Racing in Austin are starting to get entire communities involved. This will help build the sport at the ground root level we desperately need.

 OTRT: How do you explain to people that run for living? What are some of the challenges you face with this?

TS: I remember Jon Drummand talking about this same thing a few years back at USAs.  We compete in a sport that really doesn't have Drafts or league teams.  So telling someone you run professional often is very confusing.  It’s something that doesn't come up to much. But it’s cool to be able to tell someone your following your dreams and traveling all over the world.  Although most of my friends think I will "automatically be running in London" and have asked repeatedly to be my trainer or whatever can get them into the stadium.  But I like being able to say that I run professionally. It makes me feel that I am doing all of this for something.

OTRT:What have you learned as an Elite runner that you think can be applied  to the whole sport to improve it?

I think we definitely need to define many of the definitions in our sport.  I think we give out USATF sanctioned races to everything and it belittles the sport. Doug Logan was on the right track in trying to legitimize our sport.  I only hope the new person that is appointed can pick up where he left off.  But there definitely needs to be more money put inthe hands of the athletes rather than the officials or boards.  It’s the athletes that will take the sport to the new level.  Not a former one.  ButI think the sport is on the right track.

What does an Agent do?; Interview with Chris Layne

Total Sports Management was founded in 2004 and has quickly become one of the world's leading track and field management companies representing athletes in every discipline from around the globe. Chris Layne is currently the managing director where on a daily basis he deals with athletes and the major shoe sponsors. He is also the head coach of Milligan College.  In this interview, we talked about the agents role and how athletes should help market themselves.

               

Ontherighttrack:  So let us start with the basic information, how does an athlete go about finding a contract?

Chris Layne:  The easiest route is to land with an agent that has a relationship with each of the shoe companies. Certainly there are variables that will impact the possibilities (age of athlete, current level of performance, event, etc.)

OTRT:What can they do besides run fast times to present themselves as an athlete worth investing in?

CL:While marketability is important, the bottom line is performance. I've seen very few cases where an athlete is signed and they're not performing or young enough and showing the potential to perform

OTRT: What is your role as agent during the contract negations and how does this change as the relationship continue?

CL: The role is to simply keep the athlete's best interest first and foremost in the process. We're trying to maximize the bottom line and also find a good fit based on the athlete’s needs, event, position in the sport.

OTRT:  Is there anything that you urge your athletes to do to better market themselves?

CL: It never hurts to be proactive, do interviews (the right ones!), be visible in a positive light on social network mediums, keep your nose clean, be charismatic on the field of play. Not everyone is concerned with being marketable; you get certain athletes that just want to perform however.

OTRT: How important is it to craft athletes into household names to the sport?

CL:  Extremely important, this sport is struggling when it comes to visibility and being in the mainstream media. Our higher powers need to really think about how they can re-invent the sport, otherwise we're all going to continue to be in a constant struggle

OTRT: What are some unique problems with being an agent of a track and field athlete compared to the other sports?

CL: I don't have experience in other sports, but I would imagine our travel schedules. We're at 90% of the events with clients, overseas, for 2-3 months, and then an additional window of time domestically before the European season. I think the other misconception is there's tons of money in this industry, I compare what we do to minor league baseball, and there aren't many of us that would be doing this if we didn't love the sport of track and field.

OTRT:  As an agent, you are on the other side of the sport of track and field, what are some actions that could be taken to better the sport?

CL: A big picture overhaul. We need to look at each event closely, decide if we need to be going the route we're going. Too many variables in track and field. It's like a 5 ring circus, the general public can't keep up I'm afraid.

OTRT: Finally, what have you learned as an agent that can be applied to the rest of the sport?

CL: Contrary to what most think, I think the good managers are some of the most organized entities in track and field. I would like to see the sport come together more, and it might be happening on a small scale, but overall, the stereotype will always be there.

Boston sells out in 8 hours

Boston is one of the most prestigious marathons in the country. This Monday they sold out in eight hours.  How did they do this? What were the factors? My guess is three contributing factors.

1-The qualifying time- Boston you have to qualify for with your time for your age. I would have to run a 3:40 for Boston. Give people a way to feel special and they will surely sign up.

2. Limiting the field-Even if you qualify you have to register quickly again making the runner feel elite.

3. History- The history of this event is known through out the community. It has this air of legend.

Just a quick post on recent news-Cara

When running goes mainstream

Last week most of us were glued to our TV (or whatever) screens watching the Chilean Miners get rescued one by one. Of course being a runner myself, a certain tidbit caught my-one of the miners, Edison Pena, won up to 6 miles a day while listening to Elvis. This is pretty awesome feat but that is not I am focusing on.

The coolest part of this story, is that the New York Road Runners were smart enough to gain some PR from this by inviting him to run the New York City Marathon. I for one truly believe that anytime a marathon or any running event can get into the mainstream news as positive news item it should be done. Congrats to Mary Wittenburg and her staff for this smart move.

Putting on a show: An interview with meet director Scott Bush-Part 1

Scott Bush is the meet director of the  Midwest Distance Gala which is one of the premier track events in the country, bringing together many of the top high school distance runners across the U.S. This meet draws a large crowd and compared to even some of the more elite meets (ones with pro runners) it draws more. Bush has much to do with this using social media to promote the meet and shaping it has an entertainment event. I was able to catch up with him to discuss how he does this.

On the Right Track: You are the meet director of the Midwest Distance Gala, can you describe the event and what your aim is?

Scott Bush: The Midwest Distance Gala is a high school-only track event that brings many of the top male and female distance runners to the Chicagoland area, competing in a competitive and entertaining event.  The aim of the Gala is to provide fans and athletes a track event that they won’t experience at any other time during the season.  An event that has a very high-level of competition, but also unique elements off the track that make it stand above their state meets and even the national championships.

OTRT: The meet brings together some of the best high school talent in the nation, how do you go about recruiting the athletes? What do you offer differently than your typical track meet?

SB: The athletes are recruited in a variety of ways.  The initial contact for an athlete we want to recruit generally takes place with an email or phone call to their coach, expressing interest in having their athlete(s) attend the Gala and asking them what their post-season plans are.  Generally, the coach either discusses our event with the athlete(s) and gets back to me, or they give me the athletes contact information, so I can reach out to them directly. 

While reaching out to the coaches is important, we also have a fairly sizeable group of parents reach out to inquire about the event.  Lastly, we do some direct outreach to athletes if their coaches are unresponsive or they contact us regarding the event.  

In terms of what we offer that’s different...we feel there are a handful of things that distinguish our event from every other high school track meet.  We run a two hour event, with no more than 2 minutes lag time in between events.  We play music before the event, during events, in between events and after the event.  The music isn’t “Chariots of Fire” garbage either, it’s music that is relevant to what high schoolers are listening to now.  We don’t just look at the music charts or listen to the radio, we ask the athletes what they want to listen to.  This makes a world of difference compared to other events.

Also, we host the event on Saturday night, which gives the event a bit more energy.  The Gala becomes the focus of the weekend, not just a way to start the weekend.  Running under the lights is something our sport should embrace more. 

Additionally, we have rabbits for all our top races.  The rabbits allow the top athletes to sit back, relax and not stress to run a fast pace.  While this remains controversial among some fans, it has always allowed kids to shoot for personal bests, while not having to do all the work.  So many of our athletes have done all the work all season long, because they are the best in their state.  Well, we allow them a break, to just focus on the running fast, putting themselves in the race, and hopefully coming out of the event with a new PR.

There are other aspects to the Gala that make it unique, but these are the top few.

OTRT: What is the crowd size like? What do you to drawn these fans?

SB: Our crowd size has grown each and every year since the event started in 2005.  Our first year, I always like to say we had more athletes compete in the event then we had fans in the stands, and we only had 35 athletes compete. 

We changed venues each of the first four years.  We moved from Vernon Hills High School to York High School, mostly to put the event in a more centralized area of the Chicago area, and we had strong ties to York.  In between year two and three we moved to Elmhurst College, but we sold out the stadium capacity and actually had to turn fans away.  Most of them stood behind the fencing outside the stadium and watched, but it was still a sign that the event was expanding and we needed a bigger home.

In 2008 we moved to Benedictine University and found a permanent location.  In 2009 we had 1,650 fans attend the event.  This year we had around 1,500, but we attribute the loss of fans in the stands to the weather (an incredibly intense thunderstorm rolled through at the start of the event, postponing the event for 45 minutes).

We draw fans by promising them an entertaining time.  Lively music, a passionate announcer, some of the best competition you’ll find and fast races, make our event something unique, and we market the event around that uniqueness.  

OTRT: How hard is it to drawn fans that are not related to the participants?

SB: Honestly, it’s not that hard to draw fans that are not related to participants.  Track and field is one of the largest participatory sports at the high school level.  There are so many kids that love this sport at the high school level, but very few events give them a reason to go out on the weekend and celebrate their passion for it.  If you give them a reason to attend, if you give them a reason to see something they won’t see anywhere else, then they’ll come. 

On the starting line

The CEO of USA Track and Field, Doug Logan, was dismissed today.  This bit of news is of note because it might be the perfect way to start off this blog. There is wide speculation on why exactly Mr. Logan was dismissed but it seems that the wide consensus is that he did not do enough for the sport of track and field to raise its popularity in the mainstream. When board member, Deena Kastor, an Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon was asked about the dismissal she responded, “``It came down to reviewing his performance and not finding great results in the past 2 1/2 years and (his) not being able to fix things brought up in our evaluation of him,'' Kastor said (Hersh, 2010).

There are plenty of people within the sport that are making running cool again and social media is the one leading way. Twitter lets fans interact and follow their favorite starts ranging from the fastest man in the world Usain Bolt to America’s marathon hope Ryan Hall. LetsRun’s message boards serve as a gathering for many fans to talk about the sport.  Flotrack, a video website, is providing the coverage the sport never had (Lobby,2010). Track and Field is the number participation sport in high school (Jones, 2010).

Despite this social media boost, track is still considered a very minor sport.  TV coverage is lacking at best. Of all the track and field events on this summer, the most viewed running  broadcast happened to Shaq VS. featuring Tyson Gay.  According to a Runner’s World poll, 13% of runners surveyed did not know who Ryan Hall or Meb, American Silver medalist in the Marathon, were (2010). 

Now, I should explain a bit on why I am starting this blog. My name is Cara Hawkins and I am a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin.  For one of our class assignments we are to pick a subject that we care about and relate it back to advertising. I have chosen to examine how to advertise or market track and field. I hope to every week to bring some aspect of advertising in track and field to you.  I guess I should to share a bit more about myself. I ran track and field for a small D2 college, Carson-Newman and was an unsuccessful middle distance runner. I am currently training for a marathon.  I interned for Runner’s World my last semester of undergrad and I am currently working for Flocasts that owns Flotrack. 

 

So tune in next week when I kick off the series. 

 Cara

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BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION:

Hersh, P. (2010, September 13). Globetrotting. Retrieved from http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/sports_globetrotting/2010/09/usa-track-field-dumps-ceo-logan.html



Jones, G. (2010, September 4). Number of prep athletes up. Retrieved from http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100908/BLOGS06/100909571/1008/SPORTS



Lobby, M. (2010, September 1). Social media making running cool again. Retrieved from http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=20360