A few years ago a notion came to me about what kind of business the endurance sport business is. Before being involved in multisport as both an athlete and eventually a teacher/coach, I had many and diverse career pathways, all of which harmonized in some unexplainable way to lead me to where I am today.
As I entered into and began to navigate my way in the endurance coach pathway, I mulled that question over: What business is this? The answer I arrived at led me to be convinced that it was the answer that made the most sense. As a result, I began asking the same questions to others in and out of the endurance world.
As a coach teaching other coaches, I asked the question. Later, as an official charged with training other officials, I asked the same question. The question was this, "What business are we in?" I got many replies, some close, but many off the mark. The correct answer I believed then and have taught since, and continue to believe, is that we are in the entertainment industry.
Endurance sports are firmly rooted in the entertainment industry. No one is spending non-disposable income on their purchase of equipment, entry fees, travel, etc. It's often expensive to participate/compete in multisport events at a local, national, or international level. Sacrificing essential costs like rent, food, groceries, etc. The dollars spent by endurance athletes are their leisure dollars. Their entertainment dollars!
If you are a coach reading this brief blog post and have not yet considered that you just might be working in the entertainment industry, I encourage you to reflect on this to the benefit of your business and coaching approach.
If you are an athlete, know that while your athletic pursuits have value, they must be rooted in joy and fun. Recently, I have been given personal reasons to reflect on my own outlook on the limited time I have left on planet Earth.
A friend once told me, "Mark, this is a one-shot deal, not a dress rehearsal. Make the most out of the life you have been given." So, pursue those goals in a way that will bring joy and satisfaction to your whole life.
Mark Turner (aka Coach MarkT) is a Houston, Texas Metro area based Coach who is a USA Triathlon Level II and Paratriathlon Certified Coach, IRONMAN University Certified Coach,VFS Certified Bike Fitter, and Mental Strengths Performance Coach. Coach MarkT absolutely loves coaching and helping the athletes achieve their dreams. MarkT is also a US Veteran having served in the United States Marine Corps. He is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. In addition to endurance sports, his interests include history, science fiction, and cooking. He can be reached at markt@teamMPI.com.