About Arc Communications Ski Team
Purpose of Establishing the Team
The Arc Communications Ski Team was established to develop and support athletes that compete around the world in cross-country skiing and ski orienteering, and to expand the base of these sports.
I first encountered cross-country skiing and ski orienteering when I was in my mid-thirties. Coexisting with nature, and battling with oneself. Until that time, although I had watched sports, I had never trained or participated in competitions, but my life changed dramatically. I began wanting to share the joy of finding a lifelong sport, and of cheering for top athletes. I also began thinking that, as long as I was going to be a fan, there might be a way to not only provide temporary financial support to the athletes, but to expand the sphere of support and create a model for sustained development of these sports.
In the past, the relationship between companies and athletes usually consisted of one-way support by the company in an effort to increase the effect of advertising, and the athletes focused purely on the sport without any connection to the business. However, in the midst of lengthy economic stagnation, even major corporate sports teams struggle to survive, and small, minor sports that have little exposure and provide little advertising effect in particular have an extremely difficult time finding corporate sponsorship.
If such circumstances continue, even athletes that compete at a global level will have limited possibility for support simply because they participate in minor sports, and they will struggle financially to continue the sport.
Arc Communications believes that an information society in which the needs of individuals are becoming more diverse is an opportunity to build a new relationship between minor sports and business. We will take on the challenge of creating the type of business model only possible with a venture enterprise, that of expanding a network to provide multifaceted support and backup for athletes, by approaching other companies and the local community while establishing and maintaining an environment for the development and support those athletes.
At the same time athletes will be able to commit fully to their sport while also being able to contribute to the development of Arc Communications and the businesses of other companies by thinking of what can be done by themselves and acting on these ideas whether they be related to their sport or not.
Accordingly, the Arc Communications Ski Team is looking for partners to work together with in considering the nature of the coexistence of athletes and companies, while searching for ways to expand support for athletes, and to put those ideas into action.
Arc Communications Inc.
Mariko Ohsato, President and CEO
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