The best coaches are the ones who quit. Having seen that reality for 25 years, I started sharing my thoughts.

For 25 years, I have been in the sports field, and there is a reality I have been watching all along.

The best coaches are the ones who quit.

This has always made me sad. And it still makes me sad today. This is the reason why I started sharing these messages.

A scene I have seen many times

In my 25 years as a tennis coach, I have seen the same scene many times.

They have passion, they have skill, and they are trusted by their clients. Then, one day, such a coach disappears.

When I ask for the reason, it is always the same: 'I couldn't make a living, so I couldn't continue,' 'I couldn't see a future, so I moved to another job,' 'This isn't how it was supposed to be.'

The more talented a coach is, the more accurately they see reality, so they realize it sooner. They see the ceiling on their salary. They see what they will be like in 10 years. They lose hope and quit.

This is the reality happening in the sports industry.

Maybe they just didn't know

However, I think this:

Many of those who quit just didn't know.

That there is a way of working as a freelancer. That you can set your own prices. That there is a form called a small business. That you can create a community to generate income. That you can gather your own clients through social media.

It is a completely different story for those who quit knowing these things versus those who quit without knowing them.

What I want to convey is not 'become a freelancer.' I just want you to know that there are options. That is all.

My own story

I have been a freelancer for 9 years and have been running a company for 11 years.

There was a time when I had to call a consumer finance company. There was a time when I took a sleeping bag to tournaments and slept in it. I also made many mistakes.

But I kept going. Now, I am able to work at my own pace with people I like, doing work I enjoy.

I hope this experience can become one of the options for someone. I hope my failures can help someone avoid taking the long way around. That is why I am sharing these messages.

Who I want to reach

The people I most want to reach are those struggling to make a living in the sports industry.

They are worried about low wages. They feel anxious because they cannot see their future. They are unsure whether to quit or not. But they don't know what their options are.

I want to reach those people.

Working for a company is perfectly fine. Moving to a different industry is also a respectable choice. But it is a waste to quit without knowing your options. I want to reduce that 'waste,' even if it's just for one person.

What I am aiming for

I want to make the sports industry a little healthier.

I want to make it an industry where talented people have options. I want to gradually break the assumption that 'you can't make a living working in sports.'

I cannot promise anything big. But if this content expands the options for even one person, I believe it is worth continuing.

This is the reason why I share my thoughts.

Kotaro Hayashi, CEO of tennis-peak Inc.

▶ Information on trial sessions and practice sessions
https://www.tennisbear.net/circle/38969/events

▶ YouTube 'Pickle Peak Kotaro Hayashi'
https://www.youtube.com/@pickle-peakhayashi

▶ LINE OpenChat 'Pickle Peak' (Pickleball Information)
https://line.me/ti/g2/es1k-yhZGqpwgxVV_8784oTb1PSluKL_r3O2UA

▶ Website
https://pickle-peak.com

#sports #freelance #smallbusiness #tenniscoach #jobcreation #pickle_peak