Your financial coach - Darren C Baker

There's nothing quite like the life of the sports professional. Waking up every morning and earning your living from doing something you are passionate about is a rare and privileged position to be in. But it can be a precarious existence - a bit like walking a tightrope. Just one bad injury away from the final whistle; or one good performance away from the headlines.Many elite athletes do find themselves having to retire early - usually as a result of injury. And it is at that low point they are deposited back into the "real world"; sometimes without the qualifications or experience required to compete for skilled jobs. Importantly, even if you are lucky enough to have a long and successful career, you are still likely to retire at a relatively early age - what then? My reason for writing this book is to provide busy professionals - men and women with perhaps very little time, or interest, in doing anything other than their chosen vocation - with a succinct guide to the important issues that they really must get to grips with. The core of the book deals with Financial Management - how to go about organising and managing your monetary affairs. Because whatever you might think about the effectiveness or morality of our capitalist society, money is one of the most important subjects in our lives.I also consider other common challenges that many sports people face during their careers - and offer a summary of the counsel I've collated from professionals, past and present and others involved in the sporting world.Whatever stage you might be at in your professional career, my hope is that by highlighting these issues and providing some practical tips and advice, I can minimise anxiety, cut down on prevarication and spur you into taking some positive action.