Sponsored players going Independent?

[kuyaChristian]

Lately I've been noticing a rise of great, well-known, sponsored players leaving the company they've been promoting for years and take on an independent route. It was officially announced last night that Hiroyuki Suzuki (Mickey) left Team YoYoJam after 10 years being with them to focus more on his own line of yoyos, which led me to creating this thread. Mickey is not the only one; Yuuki Spencer [but still working with YYF with Yuuksta/future projects] and Shinji Saito followed suit before that, just to name a few.

I just wonder why these great players are now going independent and pursue their own stuff, inside or outside yoyoing. But then, I think I just answered my question.
But at the same time, I know it's not the sponsor that makes these players excellent, it's the player themselves and their skill.

I want a civil and well-mannered discussion about this.
What are your thoughts about them going Indie?

If you ask me, I support their decision and I'm all for their future projects. Them leaving a sponsor they've been so faithful for years doesn't faze me because I know they'll still do great with whatever they're doing. Mickey is one of my favorite players, and I wish him the best.

If you're asking for sources of where I got this news from, go check YoYoJam's FB page. That way no one can accuse me for spouting BS.

[patrickcondon]

While there are obviously teams that some may feel better suit a certain player over others, it's all down to the player to establish notability. I mean, how do we expect players to rise up and become noticed before they are first sponsored?

After that is done, a player could be approached for sponsorship. The short and long is, if the team suits the player's attitude and style (not necessarily play style, though it is mostly the case) and they can manage it and want it, they should go for it.

Every once in a while there might be a player whose attitude and ambitions do not match those of any team wishing to support them, and in that case, they should take it upon themselves to achieve their goals.