The most limited resource for any coach is time. You always have practices to plan, budgeting to do, schedules to make, travel to plan, money to raise, athletes issues to deal with, meetings with athletic administrators… and don’t even get me started on dealing with parents. Unfortunately, none of the tasks above includes anything about the most precious asset to your team: your fans.
Coaches work hard to get their program to the next level. When working with our athletes, we often say to our hardest working prodigies, “Work smarter, not harder.” What does that mean? And how can you turn that back around on yourself?
“Work smarter, not harder” simply means making wise use of your time and energy. If you’re job is to dig a hole and you’re digging in the wrong spot, you’ll never reach your goal. Working smarter means taking pause to lift your head, look around and evaluate your situation. So take this advice. Turn off your computer and your phone then lock the door. Pull out a blank sheet of paper and a pen. At the top, write down your goals (bear with me- this is not a goal-setting lesson). Then write down what you need to attain those goals. If your goals are, for example, to win a certain championship then you may need quality training, better facilities, more/better athletes, etc. If your goal is to teach life lessons and build quality people, then you may need to host a Positive Coaching Alliance workshop, travel to competitions with unique cultural benefits, or otherwise help your athletes develop into confident and positive people.
No matter your goals, you likely need support. You need money and you need people to realize your team’s full potential. When you care about your fans and supporters then the financial and human resources will follow.
What do you need to do today in order to cultivate a fan base and provide the financing for your team? Take action.
- Have an active Facebook Fan Page for your sports team
- Secure sponsorships for your team
- Cultivate a fan base
