The Missed Opportunity

Jun 22, 2024

2 min read

Wednesday was a big day in my house.

The University of Tennessee baseball team played FSU for a trip to the finals in the College World Series...a place we have not been since 1951.

Baseball and Tennessee athletics have been at the center of my relationship with my son since he was 5 years old.

I have coached most teams he has played on.

We have gone to UT football, basketball and baseball games together for years.

He is fully indoctrinated in the pain that comes with being a UT sports fan.

The game on Wednesday had a scheduled 3PM 1st pitch.

As a huge fan and someone who prides himself on a strong work ethic...I made a decision that I now regret deeply.

Instead of going home to watch the game with my son I chose to stay at the office and 'work.'

I live .25 miles from the office.

My 17-year-old son watched the game alone at home.

He’s a high school senior, and in just 13 months, he will be heading off to college.

Later that night as we debriefed the big Tennessee win, I realized the magnitude of the opportunity I missed. I have prioritized being a present father for 17 years, but I had let this great opportunity pass by.

I share this story only as a quick reminder that we have to be very intentional with our time and align it with our priorities.

Tonight Tennessee plays at 7.30.

My son has a double header himself that won't end until 9.00 that I have the privilege of coaching.

We will have the Tennessee game on in the dugout while we get the opportunity to enjoy his own game together.

Please don't make the same mistake I made this week!

As a side note, my son has started a profile here on LinkedIn and is posting his takeaways from his educational journey around investing and planning as an intern at Resilient Advisor.

You can follow him here -> Stephen Coulter