In 2002, I made the transition from being a college strength coach to opening a private training facility called Total Performance Training Center in Wixom, MI. I had been a college coach for six years, and loved it. But, there are certainly negatives to coaching in college, especially in the situation I found myself in.
I get a lot of question about which one is better or right for a particular person, so I figured I might as well lay out some of the differences in a short video.
To give you some background, from 1996-2002 I was coaching at the University of Detroit Mercy, where we had quite a bit of athletic success. It was mainly a basketball school, and our basketball team had enjoyed back to back appearances, and 1st round wins, in the NCAA Tournament as well as a Final Four appearance in the NIT. We had won numerous conference championships in sports like baseball, soccer, golf, tennis and track. I had helped several track & field athletes qualify for the NCAA National Championships and several of our basketball players ended up enjoying successful professional careers.
It was a great ride.
There was also a moment when I realized I was too wrapped up in it. I wanted to win more than many of the athletes, and my self-worth was based on the performance of a bunch of 18-22 year olds who didn’t always care as much as I did.
There was also a huge lack of funds, and I knew I was at the top of the pay scale, which was really low. For several reasons, I didn’t want to move, so my options were limited.
I knew it was time to make a change. I had always had an entrepreneurial spirit, so running a business actually sounded really exciting to me. I did a TON of research. It took me a couple of years, attending numerous seminars, hiring a consultant, writing multiple business plans, looking into various real estate opportunities and staying up late trying to figure out how it was all going to work.
To make a long story short, I finally met the owners of one of the largest sports complexes in the world, and they wanted me to help them open and operate a training center under their roof. I thought I was going to be an owner, but boy am I glad I wasn’t.
Looking back, I made every mistake in the book, and I had this company to support me through it.
That was 11 years ago, and it has been another great ride. I have a terrific facility, an amazing staff and I get to run a thriving business. Even more importantly, I still have a life, didn’t go bankrupt, and I’m still love going into work every single day.
I loved being a college coach and I love running a business.
I hope this video helps you figure out which direction is right for you.
Awesome stuff Jim. Thanks!