If you're a beginner or are in a sport with few fans, it will be very difficult. It's what gives us the chance to perform, to travel, to be different and be ourselves. Kim Hamrock, a competitive surfer who has been the U.S. Women's Champion four times, gets very little. I have a lot of sponsors that provide me with the product, like watches or clothing or bathing suits or wet suits or surfboards. But when it actually comes to putting money out to help you, not too many are out there for you.
Money is the obvious answer.
But it isn't good enough. No one wants to give you money just because you want it or think you need it. In order to convince an individual or a corporation to sponsor you, you're going to have to know precisely how that money is going to make a difference in your training and you need to be able to convey this when you ask for money. In addition, you have to understand and be able to state why you are a better candidate for sponsorship than another athlete. Although there's nothing wrong with participating in sports simply because you want to, if you're soliciting money, you need very specific goals in mind.