Softball sponsors

Question
Hi,
A group of friends and myself are trying to put together a slow pitch softball team and we are trying to get some sponsors... Do you have any advice on how to go about doing this?

I also had a question about pitching.
What happens if a pitch is thrown before the batter enters the batters box or if a pitch is thrown wall the batters hand is up indicating time out?

thanks for your help

Answer
Hi Barrett,

Thanks for your question.  Well, if you must look for a sponsor you will need to do a little homework first.  

First, you'll need to check with the local league to see if they have any requirements and what they are.  Some leagues will actually provide you with the shirt as a requirement to play (they make money on the shirt thing).  Be sure to check with them first on this.

Second, you need to determine exactly how much you would want the sponsor to pay.  So, you need to find out what your costs will be to include (at a minimum) registration and shirt fees.  Typically, registering a full team on a county rec league can range quite a bit depending on your location, but $700 - $1,000 is a a decent range.  Shirts will normally run your around $15 - $30 each, depending on the type of shirt you want.  Including names, numbers, and a design will run you a little more per each.  The quality of the shirt and the number you purchase will all affect the amount per shirt also.  Typically, the more you buy the cheaper cost though, per shirt.  Personally, I like this website: http://www.customink.com/categories/r/4/styles?  They are responsive and did a great job on my very complicated design.  Their prices are competitive too.

Once you figure out how much your total cost will be you'll need to find a sponsor who is fairly close to the field(s) you'll be playing.  I would suggest a local pub.  A place you frequent is a plus, so you can toss in that you'll be bringing your team by every week after the game.  Whether you do or not is up to you, but typically the bar will cut you a break on beer pitchers and maybe some menu items.  

Personally, I find the sponsor thing a little too much work for me.  Coaching and managing is enough work without having to deal with a sponsor.  The cost per person, without a sponsor, will range from $50 - $70 for the season and most people can flip that.  I would also consider purchasing shirts the next season after you know whether or not you'll be playing again with those same people.

For your second question about pitching.  The pitcher should not start their pitch without prompting from the umpire.  If the umpire gives the "okay" to pitch prior to the batter entering the batter's box that usually means the batter was taking too long and it should be an automatic strike anyway (without a pitch).  If the batter raises their hand for the pitcher to wait, the pitcher should wait.  This is softball, we're not fighting a war here.  Courtesy is a good thing.  I'm not sure of the exact rules definition here, but my inclination would be that the pitch is dead and needs to be re-done.  Sounds to me like your pitcher needs to take a chill pill though.  Catching batters off-guard after they enter the batter's box is a little cheap (for a rec league) and I hope that's not what he/she was intending to do.

I hope this was helpful and good luck with the sponsor thing!

Shane