Several times over the last few weeks I have had parents and players ask me the same question in several different ways. Basically they are asking “Why do you work as an Adviser?”
The question rarely comes up when interviewing new clients, but comes up more frequently lately when working with clients over a period of years.
Truthfully like every other job, I question sometimes why I still do what I do. The rinks aren’t getting any warmer and the miles aren’t getting any shorter to drive.
More and more I see young people starting out in the Adviser business. Many have no idea how hard the business is, and most don’t know the rules when it comes to NCAA hockey. Some think it is a glamorous position for some reason and soon find out that there is nothing glamorous about eating hot dogs or pizza more often than any normal person should.
Most times when people ask me “why” I do what I do though that answer is pretty short and simple. I simply love my job. I love the fight for the player. I sleep better at night knowing I have helped play a part in young men and women achieving their NCAA, Junior and professional goals.
Saturday night though, and a phone call from a player yesterday really put things in perspective.
One of my clients won an NCAA league championship on Saturday. He is moving on to the round of 16. He is also getting ready to graduate from a great school with a degree that will carry him forward in life. A degree, after four years of hard work being a student athlete.
I have had many players win championships before at many levels. This one though was just a little bit different. Different because the player has beaten all of the odds every step of the way in his hockey career.
When everyone said he couldn’t, he said he will. When everyone said it wont happen, he went out and made it happen. A great kid who can now finish his college hockey career a champion no matter what happens from this point forward.
When I spoke to him yesterday though, the player who defied the odds, suddenly had a new sound of confidence I hadn’t heard before.
It wasn’t what he said, or how excited he sounded having won a championship. It was how he sounded and the words he used to describe his whole college career. Gone was any little bit of self doubt.
It is these conversations with players, the thank you messages from parents, and knowing that I may have contributed in some small way to impacting peoples lives in a positive manner. That’s why I do the job.
Joseph Kolodziej – Family Adviser first TJHN publisher second
