We show our support for female professional triathletes
Over the past couple months, we’ve been working on a number of things here at Coeur. Coming up with innovative products and new designs is certainly high on our list. Assembling a team of Brand Ambassadors and Sponsored Athletes is also right up there. Now I don’t want to “spill all the beans” (unless they’re the kind that will brew into coffee) since our call for ambassadors and pros is still open (see our website coeursports.com on how to apply…hint, hint.) and we’re going to make an announcement toward the middle of December.
But I do want to share a decision we’ve made related to our pro contracts. A bit of context first. If you’ve ever been around a professional runner, cyclist or triathlete, you will probably have seen a degree of dedication and commitment that is hard to comprehend. Not only do these individuals train incredibly hard and forego many social events so that they can recover but they also frequently have to juggle work and family obligations. Now clearly amateurs have the same constraint but, at least for this blog post, we’re focusing on the professionals.
Now, I completely understand the economic forces and considerations that come into play (return on investment, supply and demand etc.) when we’re talking about compensation but I also believe in a universal sense of fairness (it’s my bubble, please don’t burst it). And at least from our perspective at Coeur, pay for professionals should be commensurate with their dedication, effort and displays of athletic greatness.
So, to that end, we’re going to try and do our small part.
In a meeting this week, we decided that we’re going to have cash compensation as part of every deal that we do with every professional. Not just podium incentives or expense reimbursements but guaranteed cash. Even if we could close the deal with just free product, we’re going to add in the moola. Clearly, as a start-up our pockets aren’t incredibly deep but we’ve decided to plant a stake in the ground on this issue. And if this position can in any way convince other manufacturers to follow suit, we think the world of endurance sports will be better for it. Even if we get outbid.
We know it will put a bit of a dent in our balance sheet but we also know that as a values-driven company, it is the right thing to do. And hopefully, as we grow, we’ll be able to “move the comma over” on the amount that we can pay our professional athletes. So, let’s hear it for the pros. We’re pulling for you!
Professional. Adjective. (of a person) engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than a pastime.