We recently helped one of our athletes (US Women's Softball star and 2x National Champion Kelsey Stewart) and one of our brands (MaxPreps) team up for an awesome event at Louisiana High School, Louisiana last week.

MaxPreps, a CBS Sports company, recognizes one male and one female athlete every month as part of their High School Athlete of the Month program, presented by the US Marine Corps. In March, they were recognizing a young softball player as their female Athlete of the Month and they needed an appropriate athlete to present the award to the chosen winner - Samantha Henderson - at her school. Step forward our fantastic Florida Gator.

How can I find a Professional Women's Softball player, with just two weeks notice, you ask? MaxPrep's marketing team headed straight to www.OpenSponsorship.com, typed in "Softball" and invited all the athletes they could work with on our site.

With several worthy candidates, Kelsey was just one of many OpenSponsorship athletes that ticked all of their boxes. She ended up becoming the ideal athlete for this occasion; she perfectly matched the brand's requirements (social media following, location, personality) and made sure that the event would be a big hit.

Kelsey’s appearance was the event equivalent of a home-run. Not only did she increase awareness and add a wow-factor, she also took the time to say a few words and congratulate the high school hotshot on her award. Even after the event, Kelsey posted a picture of the ceremony on her Instagram account, much to the envy of high school softball players nationwide.

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With more than 2,000 professional athletes available for your company to partner with on our site, across 40 different sports, we'd be excited to help you find the perfect sports star to increase the performance your next marketing campaign.

Want to get in on the fun? I’ll give you the steps:

1. Create a free account on www.OpenSponsorship.com

2. Create a campaign (job posting for our athletes) to promote your brand on OpenSponsorship and attract interested athletes.

3. Start a 7 day (risk free!) trial with us to publish your campaign.

4. Enjoy incoming applications from professional athletes to promote your brand.

5. Increase your brand awareness and recognition, drive sales, and add a wow-factor to your brand!