July 2025

and teams whose main function is to assist the front-line management teams. This is an area that is often overlooked in community management. So often, managers are left on the property alone with no support. It isn’t uncommon for managers to feel like they are on an island and not set up for success. The manager should have support from human resources, information technology, accounting, the executive team, and specialty areas such as insurance, funding, and project management. What I Wish I Knew at the Start Looking back, there are several insights I wish I had known when starting both careers: THE VALUE OF PATIENCE I had to cultivate patience. Progress can be slow, and setbacks are inevitable in coaching and community man agement. Understanding that growth and improvement takes time helps maintain a positive outlook and persistent effort. THE DANGER OF THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION Every team starts the season undefeated, and often, one of their season goals is to be undefeated. This is a dangerous

“A strong support system is invaluable.”

goal and way of thinking. Early in my career, I often thought: how can we win every time we step on the court? Later in my career, I learned perfection should not be the goal. Perfection creates distraction and adds stress that limits peak performance. Winning is more attainable after losing. The mistakes you make along the way and the lessons learned from those mistakes make you a better player and team at the end of the season. I have been fortunate enough to attend my share of Hall of Fame inductions. These are the best of the best in their careers for an extended period. There are always two things that every Hall of Fame inductee includes in their speech: CONTINUES ON PAGE 30

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