Business of coaching
17/09/2009 | Pas de commentaires
Can you imagine Phil Jackson invoicing Kobe Bryant for his coaching services? How about Bill Belichick asking Tom Brady to sign his paycheck? Unlike the world of professional team sports, in pro tennis the players are directly responsible for hiring, firing and financially supporting their coach. So if you’re a coach on the tennis circuit, think before you scream at your player, because in tennis, the player is the bank.
Over recent decades, professional tennis coaches have seen the sport grow from a grass-roots operation into a mega-industry. Everything’s gotten bigger: the venues, the prize money, the media coverage. The stakes are high for the players. As an individual sport, it’s important to build a support team and build it well–and the first investment is a coach.
Tennis is a “no owner” business. For the professional coach, there’s no safety net. You are 100% an individual contractor with no owner or general manager to separate you from the player. Long-term contracts don’t exist unless you’re related by blood, which can also suffer the occasional fallout. Usually agreements are made on monthly or yearly terms, subject to termination based on poor results, poor play or a plain old bad day at the office.
Coaching contracts are as individual as the players themselves, and they focus on where the player is and his or her potential. On the professional circuit, this can translate to anything from a handshake deal to a 30-page document. It’s a gamble for the coaches. You can only guess the future, but the more information you have, the better you can guess. If you find a good player who you feel has potential and you get in on the ground floor, you’re set. You can play it safe and conservative with base pay, or you can put your money on your player.
I’m a bit of a riverboat gambler. I like to invest in the player, just as I want the player to invest in me. It’s about believing in what you do and believing in the player. I’m looking for talent, hard work and desire, and I am willing to take a chance financially. There’s a huge risk factor, but no more risk than the player takes on me. If the player loses, I lose; if he wins, the day ends well. It takes the pressure off. It’s much more rewarding than just collecting a paycheck. I enjoy being a part of the game and having something on the line. It’s simply how I prefer to do business.
Players don’t just pay their coach a salary. They also take on all responsibilities of travel expenses, incidentals and the occasional entourage. Traveling 30 to 35 weeks a year can put a hurt on the player’s wallet. It’s a burden on lower-ranked players or someone struggling for funds.
