I blame pickleball.

A few years ago, my son picked up a paddle, stepped onto a court and somehow transformed from a regular kid into a tiny traveling athlete with a tournament schedule that rivals most Fortune 500 executives.

One minute I was dropping him off for practice. The next, I was booking flights, reserving hotel rooms, buying tournament shirts, replacing worn-out shoes, and learning that pickleballs apparently disappear at roughly the same rate as socks in a dryer.

As a sports mom, I quickly discovered something nobody tells you when your child starts succeeding in a sport: The better they get, the more expensive they become.

The Kitchen Pickleball Discounts.

Every tournament required another registration fee. Every trip needed another flight. Every growth spurt demanded another pair of shoes. Somewhere along the way, I started wondering if I should list “Junior PPA Player Parent” as a second mortgage on my tax return.

Don’t get me wrong — I absolutely love watching my son compete. Seeing him chase his dreams has been one of the greatest joys of my life. But after spending an average of $10,000 per month between training, travel and tournaments, I found myself asking a simple question: How is this sustainable long term?

As someone who works in publishing and advertising, I knew businesses spend money every day to reach local families. I also knew something many sports parents overlook: Sponsors aren’t looking for handouts to give away. They’re looking for partnerships.

So instead of asking businesses to donate money to my son’s pickleball journey, I started approaching them differently.

I created sponsorship packages. I built a media kit. I helped my son tell his story. I focused on what value we could provide in return.

And to my complete surprise, businesses started saying yes. Not because my son was famous. Not because he had a million followers. Not because he could hit an ATP. They said yes because they saw an opportunity to connect with their community through a hardworking young athlete.

Review: 11SIX24 Ultre Power 2 is the brand’s best paddle yet

Soon we had partnerships helping offset tournament costs, equipment expenses, lessons and travel. More importantly, my son was learning real-world skills that have nothing to do with pickleball — communication, accountability, professionalism, gratitude and how to build relationships.

Then something unexpected happened. Other sports parents started asking questions. Lots of questions.

“How did you get sponsors?” … “Who did you contact?” … “What did you say?” … “Can you look at my email before I send it?”

I realized there were thousands of families sitting on the sidelines wondering the exact same thing I had wondered years earlier.

That’s how Sponsor My Athlete was born. I created the 60-minute course because I wanted to give parents the roadmap I wish I’d had when this journey started. It’s a step-by-step guide to finding sponsors, building partnerships, creating a media kit and helping young athletes stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Any sport. Any age. Any skill level.

Read next: The Kitchen’s top 13 pickleball paddles on the market right now + in-depth reviews for each one

The funny thing is, I originally created the system to help fund one pickleball player’s dream. Now it’s helping sports families across the world learn how to do the same.

And guess what? Your first sponsor is likely a lot closer than you think. While I still spend plenty of weekends sitting courtside with an iced green tea in one hand and a tournament schedule in the other, at least now I know there’s a smarter way to help pay for the adventure.

Because youth sports may be expensive — but parents are resourceful. Especially pickleball parents.

Mandy Holmes is the “momager” of junior pickleball player JZ Holmes. She started Sponsor My Athlete to help other sports parents find sponsorship opportunities for their young athletes. Kitchen readers can use code SPONSOR100 for $100 off the Sponsor My Athlete training course.