Mental health is one of the most important issues facing athletes today. MILLIONS of people are affected by mental illness each year, and athletes understand better than anyone the challenges of seeking help. That's why athletes make such great advocates for mental health awareness campaigns. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, let's take a look at some examples of how athletes have partnered with brands to promote mental health awareness.

OpenSponsorship loves team sponsorships. In addition to working with athletes, we also do deals with Teams and Events. From brand awareness to skyrocketing sales, the possibilities of team sponsorships are endless.

Have you wondered what athlete influencers are saying about your competitors? Here's the BEST and CHEAPEST way to find out.

Promote Your Brand During 2022 Draft Season 

1. LOG IN to your Account
   
   
   
   
2. Click on your Account Name
   
   
   
   
3. Go to Account Settings 
   
   
   
   
4. Go to the Payments Tab
   
   
   
5. Click Add Coupon and Enter coupon code NY20OFF.

What are non-fungible tokens (NFTs)?

1 of every 3 Instagram users follow a sports account. That's 165 million accounts. This shows the global reach that sports has across nations. In addition, team sponsorship revenue across five major professional sports in 2021 was nearly $4.8 billion, a number that is up 44% year over year.

Trick or Treat: It is officially Halloween weekend! (or Halloweekend as some people like to call it). We've had some fantastic athlete names throughout sports history that are absolutely perfect for this spooky holiday - Frank Gore, Spook Jacobs, Darius Slay, and DJ Killings, just to name a few. We've also had big sports debates over which halloween candies would take the GOAT label (though Reese's peanut butter cup should clearly take the cake). But have you ever thought about some of your favorite athletes who just brings utter fear to their opponents? We definitely have a few of our own, and we know that these athletes on our platform are capable of causing major disruption in their respective sports, so you better look out!

Jon "Bones" Jones

Jon Jones is arguably the number one pound for pound fighter in the UFC. Widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists, Jones has had 14 consecutive title fights and holds the record for the most title defenses in UFC history with 12. He last fought on Feb. 8, 2020, making his third consecutive light heavyweight title defense (and 12th overall) against Dominick Reyes. His fight resume is unmatched. He said in May 2021 that there's a good chance he won't fight this year, but mentioned that he began bulking up for a run at heavyweight. Look for him to terrorize his opponents in his upcoming fights!

Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson has been out with a major knee and achilles injury over the past two and a half seasons. Despite this setback, he is still widely regarded as one of the best shooters and defenders in NBA history. He is the active record holder for most three-pointers made in a game with 14(!!!) threes. Once he catches fire, the rim seems like it has grown 3x wider and there wouldn't be much that his defenders can do. His highly anticipated return will most likely come this season, so DEFENDERS BEWARE! We can expect his return to be as scary as the jump scare from your favorite local Halloween haunted corn maze.

Candace Parker

Fresh coming off her 2nd WNBA championship last month, Candace Parker is an absolute nightmare on the court. This versatile forward led her hometown Chicago Sky to its first championship, after spending most of her career tormenting defenders in an LA sparks uniform. The former number one pick is not new to this championship feeling, as Parker also led the Tennessee Volunteers to back to back NCAA championships in 2007 and 2008, while earning multiple valuable accolades such as POY and MVP along the way. Keep an eye out as she tries to lead her Sky to back to back WNBA championships next season.

Valentina Shevchenko

Widely considered one of the greatest female fighters in the world, former UFC champion Valentina has been dominant in martial arts from a very young age. Her kickboxing career began in 2000 when, at age 12, she knocked out a 22-year-old opponent, earning her the moniker "Bullet" from her trainer Pavel Fedotov because of her speed in the ring. From 2003 to 2015, Valentina collectively won more than 50 amateur and pro matches in K-1, Muay Thai, and kickboxing, winning a total of nine gold medals at the Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Championships. Hands down one of the most accomplished fighters in the world, I would think twice about getting in the octagon with her. 

Rob Gronkowski

Name one thing scarier than the "Gronk Spike" - we'll wait. Rob Gronkowski, nicknamed "Gronk", is an American football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played nine seasons for the New England Patriots. He is a four-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII, LV), a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time First Team All-Pro selection, and was selected in the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. His accolades on the gridiron speak for itself and we all know that he has been an absolute menace on the field, but look for Gronk to add another Super Bowl ring to his resume this year. 

Pickleball is growing in popularity in the US, especially among retired individuals. This is because it is a great way to stay active, socialize with others, and have fun. Today, there is a very strong Pickleball community as there are more than 2 million people playing this unique sport in the US. The International Pickleball Federation has ranked the US number one in terms of the number of tournaments, the number of players, the number of courts, and the number of new courts being built.

There are over 480,000 NCAA athletes in the world of college athletics. With the new rules surrounding NIL, college athletes are hungrier than ever for potential sponsorship deals. We have also been making big moves to ensure that brands and athletes stay NIL compliant in order to have the best possible partnerships. Especially with holiday promotions available for brands, the possibilities for marketing are endless.