The difference between paying and investing by Henk van Niekerk
I met this man and his wonderful family through rugby and thought I'd share his thoughts on the difference between paying for and investing in something.
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Henk van Niekerk
With a possible 2022 global recession around the corner and the US stock markets going into free fall many folks are reevaluating their financial situation. I thought this old rugby story might be a good reminder on the difference between spending vs investing.
One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money and spend so much time running around for your child to play rugby?"
Well I have a confession to make: I don't pay for my kids rugby training or kit, mouthguard or boots. Or even try to calculate the hundreds of hours I loose driving up and down to the pitch each week.
So, if I am not “paying for rugby”, what am I paying for?
- I pay for those moments when my kid becomes so tired or might get hurt and they feel like quitting, but they don’t.
- I pay for the opportunity that my child can have and will have to make life-long friendships.
- I pay for the chance to have amazing coaches that will teach my child that rugby is not just about a game plan, but about a life plan.
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- I pay for my child to learn to be disciplined and level headed under pressure.
- I pay for my kid to learn to take care of the one body they will have to look after for the rest of their life.
- I pay for my child to learn to work with others and to be a proud, supportive, kind and respectful to both competitors and team members.
- I pay for my child to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don’t get picked 1st or the try they hoped to score in the game, or dropped the ball, missed the tackle, despite having practiced a thousand times, but still gets up and is determined to do their BEST next time.
- I pay for my kid to learn how to make and accomplish both individual and group goals.
- I pay for my kid to realize that it takes hours and hours and hours and hours of hard work and practice to create excellence, and that success does not happen overnight and you can always learn more.
- I pay so that my child can be on the pitch instead of in front of a digital screen.
I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for rugby; I pay for the opportunities that rugby provides my child to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their life, and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others.
From what I have seen over many years, I think I’m not paying anything, but what I’m doing is investing wisely into the future.
Insurance Consultant and advisor to Insurtechs, Non-Exec Director, Catastrophe and Exposure Management, Product Management
2 年Oh Tim Peppiatt this is so true. The Rugby values are some of the best building blocks for our kids, and rely on fantastic volunteers who put themselves forward as coaches and referees to instill those values, people such as you, thank you
Growth & Transformation Consultant, Fractional CMO & Board Adviser
2 年Love this Tim Peppiatt As a Rugby parent myself i couldn’t agree more… and it’s no surprise that there is a strong correlation between playing team sports as a child and career success in adulthood - some great lessons are leant on the pitch!