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Post by dubber on Jan 28, 2010 21:51:30 GMT -6
I wanted some feedback from the lay coaches on this site who run their own business.
Running a business is really a 24/7 venture (and by that, I mean you may being working ANY of those hours).
Last year was my first year (business-wise), and I let it suffer from a growth standpoint during football season. I would really like to be good at both football and my work this fall.
So, for you 1099 guys, how are you balancing the demands of your livelihood and the demands of your team?
Thanks.
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Post by dubber on Jan 29, 2010 14:39:49 GMT -6
Does any coach on here have their own business?
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Post by touchdownmaker on Jan 29, 2010 16:00:28 GMT -6
Theres no doubt that the business takes a back seat during the season.
we dont seem to be able to get DWI emags out now that Im a HC, just too busy. At least I still answer as many forum posts and emails as I can and still make sure to get my unit and lesson plans written etc.
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Post by dubber on Jan 29, 2010 16:30:16 GMT -6
Theres no doubt that the business takes a back seat during the season. we dont seem to be able to get DWI emags out now that Im a HC, just too busy. At least I still answer as many forum posts and emails as I can and still make sure to get my unit and lesson plans written etc. Coach, I appreciate the response. I'm looking more at people who have to put their main occupation on the back burner to coach. You could stop doing your DVD's and EMag's, you still have your teacher's salary (and coaching stipend), and the mortgage gets paid. If my business goes under, my wife and I are moving back in with our parents. However, what's life without the important stuff? *The love of a good woman *Family and friends *Giving back to the community *A deep and rich faith *Living vicariously through 14-18 year old boys You know, the important stuff....... I understand putting stuff on the backburner during season (like my classes back when I was in college). I guess when you have something that HAS to be done during season, how do you manage?
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Post by touchdownmaker on Jan 29, 2010 16:36:37 GMT -6
I get up REAL EARLY in the am, while the house is quiet, make books, manuals, dvds and emags. I package stuff early, like 5 am...drink coffee, check the net....then help the kids get ready for school at 6...by 645 im readying myself....
sleep less, more coffee if need be...cut down on internet time...its hard to do...
sadly, the teaching salary does not cover it all.
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Post by dubber on Jan 30, 2010 10:26:00 GMT -6
I get up REAL EARLY in the am, while the house is quiet, make books, manuals, dvds and emags. I package stuff early, like 5 am...drink coffee, check the net....then help the kids get ready for school at 6...by 645 im readying myself.... sleep less, more coffee if need be...cut down on internet time...its hard to do... sadly, the teaching salary does not cover it all. Gotcha. I do a lot of the getting up early stuff. I don't have kids, which is good, because my business will be much more managable in 3-4 years as far as time off. Right now, though, I could use the 3-5:30 time slot in the fall........ But there is no way I can give up coaching......it is really my only hobby.
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Post by touchdownmaker on Jan 30, 2010 10:30:13 GMT -6
Me too, I tried giving it up for one year. longest year of my life.
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ystick2
Sophomore Member
Posts: 191
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Post by ystick2 on Jan 30, 2010 11:04:21 GMT -6
Coach, My wife and I run a business on the side that did conflict with coaching. Albeit not our only source of income(both being educators), it allows us to provide for our own children in a manner we like. With that being said, I willingly cut back on my coaching duties and found that coaching became fun again. I had been a HC and coordinator in both capacities for many years, and had actually forgotten what "raw" coaching was all about. I was able to stay involved at a high level yet still manage our business to full capacity. May not be something you are interested in, but I basically attended practice 3-4 days a week (not weekends), and was on the field on Friday night. I still had complete say in any aspect of the game - so I was "heard" (which is what we all desire). I was paid out of camp funds simply as gratitude, but paid my gas (didn't ride the bus either). So, I stayed involved for the love of the game. May not be what you are looking for, just my $.02
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Post by dubber on Jan 30, 2010 11:24:15 GMT -6
Coach, My wife and I run a business on the side that did conflict with coaching. Albeit not our only source of income(both being educators), it allows us to provide for our own children in a manner we like. With that being said, I willingly cut back on my coaching duties and found that coaching became fun again. I had been a HC and coordinator in both capacities for many years, and had actually forgotten what "raw" coaching was all about. I was able to stay involved at a high level yet still manage our business to full capacity. May not be something you are interested in, but I basically attended practice 3-4 days a week (not weekends), and was on the field on Friday night. I still had complete say in any aspect of the game - so I was "heard" (which is what we all desire). I was paid out of camp funds simply as gratitude, but paid my gas (didn't ride the bus either). So, I stayed involved for the love of the game. May not be what you are looking for, just my $.02 I appreciate the response. I am an assistant (DE's and OL), and a JV OC (playcaller). As a lay coach, I will never be a HC (nor do I want to be). A coordinator position is all I aspire too.......it's really about the kids and the intrinsic joy of football. So, you basically cut out some of the behind the scenes demands of being a football coach.........like loading the equipment van for road games, etc.
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ystick2
Sophomore Member
Posts: 191
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Post by ystick2 on Jan 30, 2010 11:32:15 GMT -6
Yes, all the administrative stuff was gone. But, I did give up being a coordinator as well. At practice, I worked with specific areas of concern. I remained involved in all game planning and had free "input" on all aspects of the game. Obviously, I did this sparingly, but I felt involved and I appreciated the opportunity to stay involved. I would take film home and view on my free time then comment randomnly as needed to the HC and DC. Since I worked with the varsity only, I didn't go to lower-level games, however I was able to work with them from time to time during practices.
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Post by outlawjoseywales on Jan 30, 2010 13:09:49 GMT -6
No matter how you HAVE to do it, you've got to be there everyday at practice.
A number of years ago I signed on with a program where the HC wasn't at practice everyday, he would miss 1 to 2 days a week every week. It was a real mess. (could say lots more but no need)
However, my DC for the last couple of years wasn't able to come everyday because of work. Monday, he's not needed Tuesday we dedicated to all defense. Wednesday is a short day for us. So it worked out well because we could cover for him. The size of the program also makes a difference here, you couldn't do it this way if we had a larger program.
OJW
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Post by phantom on Jan 30, 2010 14:43:35 GMT -6
No matter how you HAVE to do it, you've got to be there everyday at practice. A number of years ago I signed on with a program where the HC wasn't at practice everyday, he would miss 1 to 2 days a week every week. It was a real mess. (could say lots more but no need) However, my DC for the last couple of years wasn't able to come everyday because of work. Monday, he's not needed Tuesday we dedicated to all defense. Wednesday is a short day for us. So it worked out well because we could cover for him. The size of the program also makes a difference here, you couldn't do it this way if we had a larger program. OJW Yeah, I don't understand how a HC could miss practice regularly. An assistant, could happen but not the HC. How do you handle it if a kid says that he can't make Wednesday practices because he has a job?
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Post by dubber on Jan 30, 2010 17:35:53 GMT -6
No matter how you HAVE to do it, you've got to be there everyday at practice. A number of years ago I signed on with a program where the HC wasn't at practice everyday, he would miss 1 to 2 days a week every week. It was a real mess. (could say lots more but no need) However, my DC for the last couple of years wasn't able to come everyday because of work. Monday, he's not needed Tuesday we dedicated to all defense. Wednesday is a short day for us. So it worked out well because we could cover for him. The size of the program also makes a difference here, you couldn't do it this way if we had a larger program. OJW Yeah, I don't understand how a HC could miss practice regularly. An assistant, could happen but not the HC. How do you handle it if a kid says that he can't make Wednesday practices because he has a job? Setting an example is another concern......good point. I've never left practice early, but I have jogged to the field house. One thing that helps is the flexibility I have during the summer......I hate to miss, but when something HAS TO BE DONE on the business side, I can miss summer workouts and know the other 4 coaches will pick up the slack. In season, however, I just let the business bleed..........
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Post by dubber on Feb 2, 2010 21:33:18 GMT -6
Are any coaches out there making 1099 money as their main source of income?
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Post by dubber on Feb 3, 2010 22:11:08 GMT -6
Last time.....
Can anyone relate to this?
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Post by k on Feb 4, 2010 6:55:56 GMT -6
We've got a guy on staff who runs his own business as his only source of income. He misses a day every week or two or comes late a couple days a week and uses the phone during practice quite a bit but he was a volunteer until this past season and took on additional roles to "make up" for the time he missed. He did all our video cutups and what not.
That said I'm sure his business suffers during football season.
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Post by dubber on Feb 4, 2010 13:22:03 GMT -6
We've got a guy on staff who runs his own business as his only source of income. He misses a day every week or two or comes late a couple days a week and uses the phone during practice quite a bit but he was a volunteer until this past season and took on additional roles to "make up" for the time he missed. He did all our video cutups and what not. That said I'm sure his business suffers during football season. Does he do anything different to help stem the tide?
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Post by rollingthunder on Feb 4, 2010 23:35:27 GMT -6
I admire your persistence on this thread Dubber. So I will chime in.
I have been doing the “balancing act” between running a small business and off campus coaching for over 20 years. Don’t tell my wife, but the scale tips heavily toward football August - November. Who am I fooling, she already knows it and yet tolerates it, barely. Fortunately, my business is somewhat seasonal with it’s busy season in spring and summer, however August is a very hectic between the two.
I get sick thinking of the $ I have left to my competitors during football season. But football is my drug. I took a year off in 1999 and about went nuts. An ol’ rival coach hit me up that winter to help him start up a new HS program and it sounded exciting. Spend a year or two helping build a program from scratch while getting our tails handed to us. Might just cure my addiction right? Nine seasons and 4 state titles later, I’m still here. So much for that idea.
I have been an OC for most of my coaching years. Like you Dubber, I have never been a HC and don’t desire to be since I could not be there for my teams needs year around. Fortunately, we don’t do a lot of football in the off-season other than weights and speed training, which I am not involved with much. But when August comes, my mind and watch get tunnel vision and the business suffers. As the OC, my practice goes home with me in the form of film and game planning. I can miss Tuesdays (def), but rarely do.
Anyone have an antidote?
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Post by jlenwood on Feb 5, 2010 20:47:43 GMT -6
I have ran my own biz for the last eleven years, 10 of those I have coached. One of the things that has worked for me was to try to blend the schedules together as much as possible, meaning no matter what you are trying to do, your day is going to be alot longer than you would like. Work--go to practice--back to work etc.
I have always had empoyees to cover for me in the past, but this economy has forced the layoff of everyone, so it is just me back in the truck again. I don't know how that will work out this season, but I can be pretty flexible with scheduling so I am sure to have longer days ahead.
The old saying you can only serve one master is true during football season, something is going to suffer. As long as my wife keeps making as much $ as she does now, the work will suffer for me!
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Post by tiger46 on Feb 6, 2010 12:22:17 GMT -6
Dubber, I'd contact Dave Cisar. He's a youth coach that has ran his own business and a large football organization. He posts on this site fairly regularly. I don't think he's the only youth coach that does this, either. In fact, in about 2yrs I may be joining their ranks if everything goes well for me.
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Post by jlenwood on Feb 7, 2010 10:39:40 GMT -6
dubber...one bit of input, and probably the most important that I didn't mention yesterday was this, from the minute you opened your business, everyone you come in contact with is a potential customer, or at the least they know you as the owner of a business. Now I don't know what industry you are in but you need to keep this in mind at all times.
Here is what I mean. Say you are on the sidelines at a game and you think the official just blew a call and you erupt. You call him everything in the book, basically just really showing your ass. Well, Monday morning roles around and you go on a sales call and guess who your prospective client is, thats right, the official you just beat down verbally. How willing to do biz with you do you think he is going to be. I know this can happen because it happened to me with another coach. We just smashed his team (we were simply the better team) and he hated it.
You just need to keep in mind that everyone you now come in contact with could possibly be the decision maker you need to sell to. This includes your behavior at football games, sitting in the stands at basketball etc. So unless you are selling to people oversees, you need to think about those around you and how it could affect your biz.
Just my 2 cents.
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Post by phantom on Feb 7, 2010 12:46:03 GMT -6
dubber...one bit of input, and probably the most important that I didn't mention yesterday was this, from the minute you opened your business, everyone you come in contact with is a potential customer, or at the least they know you as the owner of a business. Now I don't know what industry you are in but you need to keep this in mind at all times. Here is what I mean. Say you are on the sidelines at a game and you think the official just blew a call and you erupt. You call him everything in the book, basically just really showing your {censored}. Well, Monday morning roles around and you go on a sales call and guess who your prospective client is, thats right, the official you just beat down verbally. How willing to do biz with you do you think he is going to be. I know this can happen because it happened to me with another coach. We just smashed his team (we were simply the better team) and he hated it. You just need to keep in mind that everyone you now come in contact with could possibly be the decision maker you need to sell to. This includes your behavior at football games, sitting in the stands at basketball etc. So unless you are selling to people oversees, you need to think about those around you and how it could affect your biz. Just my 2 cents. For every official who is lost as a prospective customer there will be twenty in the stands who agree with the coach. I'm not saying that going nuts at an official is a good idea. I'm just wondering about the relationship between football decisions and business decisions.
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Post by los on Feb 7, 2010 13:28:40 GMT -6
Depends on what kind of business you're in dubber, in my case it was landscape/golf course maintenance and auto mechanics.....in both of these jobs, I had to "physically" be there working or the job would suffer.....I was able to be a youth HC, for the better part of 2 decades ,while doing the (self employed)auto tech job, cause we didn't start practice till 5:30pm(mon thru wed) and played on thurs evenings......the time demands of coaching at the HS level, basically limited my participation to being a part-time asst. line coach......the choice for me, was either limit my coaching duties/football participation..... or starve half to death and live in a cardboard box, on the street somewhere......easy choice, lol ;D
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Post by jlenwood on Feb 7, 2010 21:02:15 GMT -6
The relationship between business decisions and football decisions isn't the point. It is your behavior, especially at a time of stress. I cringe when I see a biz owner bust out the f bomb or start berating an official or a kid at a sporting event. It to me shows the character of the individual.
Now, to be clear, I am talking about seroiusly showing your ass here, not just a disagreement with an official on a call. You can still have some class and disagree with someone.
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Post by davecisar on Feb 7, 2010 21:26:16 GMT -6
Last time..... Can anyone relate to this? Youth coach Set up and ran 400 kid org, coached, ran business started with 1 employee, got it up to 180 Sold it, run another business now Yes business suffers during football a bit I get all my big projects done before football hits, all my personal non family stuff gets put on hold Only doing important and urgent quadrant 1 stuff during season Working like crazy leading up to season to get everything done I outsource more during football- less profit etc Of course long days and setting priorities are a must You work every day, no 2 week or month long breaks etc, total different dynamic
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