6 Ways to Handle the Hard Stuff When Your Life Gets Messy

Hey Coach, 

At some point in your life, you are going to have to deal with hard stuff.

As a coach, I’m not talking about losing or getting fired (which obviously sucks!)

I’m talking about a family emergency, an unexpected health issue, or the inevitable changes, challenges, or surprises that happen when dealing with college athletes, your support staff, or with your administrators.  

Having been in college athletics for almost 30 years now, there isn’t much that I haven’t experienced.    

While it’s impossible to game plan out every possible obstacle or sh*t show coming your way, in this article today I want to walk you through some proactive steps to make sure you’re prepared to not only survive, but thrive if something like this pops up for you.  

1. Identify What You Can Pause or Delegate

Know what aspects of your program can be put on pause if and when the shiitake hits the fan. Be clear on what’s truly non-negotiable and what’s not. 

Take some time now to identify what’s absolutely essential versus what could be paused or delegated temporarily. For example: 

• Non-negotiable tasks: staying up with your recruiting communication rhythm 
• Pausable tasks: Posting on social media 

If and when something comes up, knowing exactly where to focus and what to pause will make it easier to shift gears. 

2. Set Up a Team Password Manager

Access is everything, especially when you’re unavailable. A team password manager lets you securely share access to critical platforms, documents, and communication channels so that your staff can still operate effectively if you’re tied up. This way, there’s no scrambling to get a hold of you for passwords or logins. 

3. Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are lifesavers. SOPs can make sure that even if you’re not around, things get done right. Write down your processes for recruiting, game prep, reporting—anything critical to your program. That way, if you or another team member is unexpectedly out, someone else can pick up the reins without missing a beat. 

4. Cross-Train Your Staff

Every person on your staff should have a backup. Is your staff set up so someone else can step in and cover, whether it’s another assistant coach, a team manager, or support staff. Tools like Google Docs for shared notes and Loom for screen-recorded tutorials make it easy to onboard others on short notice. 

5. Batch Content and Have Backup Resources

If your program regularly shares content—think social media posts, alumni newsletters, or player spotlights—consider batching it. Preparing a few extra posts or emails in advance can help keep up appearances if you’re in the middle of handling something big in your personal life. Having “evergreen” content ready to go means you’re not scrambling to post, and it keeps your team’s presence active. 

6. Adopt the “Everything is Figureoutable” Mindset

Your mindset sets the tone for your team. When things go sideways, stay resilient. Embrace the belief that no matter what comes your way, you can adapt, regroup, and keep moving forward. As they say, when things go wrong, don’t go with them. 

Of course I could keep going with this list but these six  are a super solid start. 

What do you think — anything specific you’d add to this list? 

Hit reply and let me know. 

Keep going strong, Coach.  

Mandy Green 

P.S.  Keep any eye out for my new training program that is coming out next week.   It is meant to help you set up all of the stuff that I mention in this article.