Coaching lessons from the dugout...

Over the years I have had many influential people in my life. I fondly remember my football coaches from high school. They taught me how to prepare in the weight room, the basics of how to take a hand-off without fumbling the ball, and how to run a play in concert with the rest of team. I didn’t know it then, but they were teaching me fundamental life skills on how to be successful well beyond the game of football.

As a youth baseball and softball coach for over 15 years I’ve spent countless hours teaching players how to master the fundamentals of pitching, hitting, and fielding. I’ve found the keys to being a good baseball coach include (1) teaching the fundamentals, (2) repetition of these fundamentals through consistent practice, (3) teamwork on the field, (4) getting the players into top physical shape, and (5) consulting with other experts who knew more than me on how to fine-tune their mechanics.

Good financial coaches apply the same principles. They guide you through the personal finance fundamentals, help you develop a game plan to follow with your family, get your short-term money issues under control, show you how to practice on a monthly cycle, and then hand you off to other advisors in areas they can no longer help.

The hardest part of coaching is when you have to release the players onto the field where they either succeed or fail. You can’t go out onto the field and play for them, you can only shout encouragement from the dugout. As a financial coach, I’ll be here to provide tools, techniques and encouragement but it will be up to you to be the performer on the field of life.