Apple the working Dude 

Came home from my AFS Scholarship in the summer for 1998.  I was pretty much at the cross roads as to what I should do.   I had actually stopped playing tennis for while and was considering working for a while.  I found a job in the Accounts Department of the Barbados Mutual Life Assurance Society, now known as Sagicor, as an Accounts Clerk.   By this time, I had started back playing tennis and was training in the evenings.  Although I love accounts, I found the job extremely stressful.  Now I was thinking of something else to do, so I started asking myself some questions.  'What else do I Iike to do?'  Answer : Tennis.  'How can I make money from Tennis?'  Answer : Coaching Tennis 

In April of 2000 I took the International Tennis Federation's Coaching Course Level 1and passed it.  The next day I resigned from my job.  In May 2000, I flew back to Denmark to work as a coach in the summer and I have been working as a coach to this day.  Took the Level 2 Course in 2001, but unfortunately didn’t  pass it., but the knowledge I gained during the course has been invaluable and has carried me from strength to strength. 

It was a big decision to quit my office job and work as a coach, but it was very clear.  Certain sacrifices had to be made.  Wasn’t  make the sort of money that I was make at the Mutual at the start.  Actually when I came back to Barbados after that summer in 2000, I was working for BDS$50(US$25) a week dread.   So you can see it was a bit difficult in the beginning, but as I said, I knew this is what I wanted to do.    

Now a few years on, I earn a bit more than BDS$50 and I have been working in a few more countries as well.  I am now known as an Intentional Tennis Instructor and have worked in countries such as Denmark, England and Mallorca.   

Most of my work in Europe is done in the summer months (May - August).  I am usually in the Barbados the rest of the time working with schools, hotels and at my club. 

I really enjoy my job and I would recommend that you follow your dream and do what I want to do.  If you do that, life somehow becomes so much pleasurable.