Source: Dick’s Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods has hired more than 180 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic contenders to work at its stores as part of a sponsorship program with Team USA.
The sporting goods chain is offering flexible scheduling and competitive compensation, allowing the athletes to devote their time to training for the upcoming Olympic Games taking place in August in Brazil.
Dick's replaced Home Depot as the official retail sponsor of Team USA and is also providing sports equipment donations to the U.S. Olympic Training Centers.
While a few stars receive ample sponsorship money, most athletes aren't able to cover the training, travel and living expenses with the stipends provided by the United State Olympic Committee (USOC) and the individual federations. Donations prove challenging and work hours often don't fit with their typical six-day-a-week, eight-hour-a-day training regimens.
"We're honored to provide these inspiring athletes with what they need — a flexible source of income — to pursue their Olympic and Paralympic dreams," said Lauren Hobart, EVP and chief marketing officer, in a statement. "At the same time, the contenders are able to offer our customers their expertise as elite athletes. We have had such positive feedback on the program, from the contenders, our customers and their fellow associates. It's truly a win-win."
The athletes aren't in Dick's SG marketing campaigns. In the store, however, they wear the "Grit Before Gold" slogan as part of the USOC marketing program that provokes questions from customers.
A teamusa.org article claims that the athlete's presence also boosts morale for other store associates. Said Liz Podominick, an elite discus thrower, "They're always coming up and asking us questions and sharing their sports stories."