24/7 Jobs

On Thursday morning, I remembered what Melbourne legend Garry Lyon said on Footy Classified a day after his old club was defeated by Geelong by 186 points.

Lyon did not want to coach his beloved Dees because the coaching job was a 24/7 one.

What made me remember about it was my feeling my job was also a 24/7 one because I am sleeping in a back office at the workplace and feeling under the pressure for not having a break, sort of.

At that time, I thought that Gaz was lazy and did not take a responsibility to save his old footy club.

But now I understand why doing a 24/7 job is hard and many people do not want.

Last year, I read the Age article reporting what former Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson talked about his coaching job for the Crows. He said that doing the job as a senior coach was not only coaching players but also mentoring them for both inside and outside professions.

It makes sense that a coaching job at AFL is a 24/7 one.

Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson was reluctant to take an interim coaching job for Essendon while James Hird was suspended because he did not like a 24/7 job. I can understand. I reckon he had salad rolls in the coaches box at Subiaco when he was in charge for the Cats because he had no time to eat other than when his boys played well as he was doing the 24/7 job.

Four-time Premiership coach Alastair Clarkson has (had?) anger issues. He has yelled journalists, punched the wall at MCG coaches box and abused a junior footy umpire. When he was in hot water in 2012, Mick Malthouse backed him saying he understood how hard senor coaching jobs were.

Showing anger is not good, I know. But I understand how Clarko feels because he and I are doing 24/7 jobs, I reckon.
My perceptions are different from other people’s ones. I admit I belong in a minority group in human beings. I often get annoyed and frustrated when others point out something. They insist they do not intend to hurt me, but I feel they try to humiliate me from their tones of voices (in Japanese). It happens at my work too.
My boss urges me that my work is easy because we have only four rooms so check in and check out are easy. But I have other things to do. I am working from 8 am to 9 pm with a lunch break that can be up to three hours. She thinks having not enough break is fine. For me, having a proper break is important to do better works and concentrate well and serve guests well. But being interrupted at the break time is very annoying and makes restless. And I sleep at the back office at the inn. I have been interrupted my sleep by guests. Then this is a 24/7 hour one. Such circumstances are so stressful.
Taking a rest is important. I understand why Ross Lyon and Brad Scott rested their key players at Round 23 this year before Freo and Kangaroos played the final series.Their decisions were controversial, and my boss’ attitudes making me feel guilty to take a break on the 13-hour work is also controversial.
Clarko, I am with you. Difference between him and me is he is doing a great job while I am underrated at work. Having rated the best on data entry is very shocking. Where are my English skills? Are they not my best performances? Am I Cyril Rioli of Kyoto Machiya Inn (I use the metaphor from the Age column written by Matthew Lloyd)? However Rioli is not underrated at all. He is the star and in the cover of the Footy Almanac 2015. I admire him. I want to be like Cyril.
No matter how much money we earn, doing a 24/7 job is bad for health, especially mentally.
Probably young footballers rely on their senior coaches for advice because coaches have gone through the same path as young stars do now. But they need a balanced life. Me too. Some tasks senor AFL coaches have should be split with other staff members at footy clubs. I need to seek another job to meet my wishes in my life. I like working for nice guests, but there are many selfish people staying at the inns. Under the current working conditions, I cannot keep cool to unfriendly, rude and selfish people. Also I want to admire colleagues and bosses and expect same things happen to me.
My conclusion is there should be no 24/7 job anywhere.
I wish I can authorise free accommodation for Alan Richardson. I want to invite him to the Oku no ma Room at Shouan to discuss about footy and his life. I wish Richo could be my boss.

About Yoshihiro Imagawa

Love, passion and pride are seen on the footy that is the biggest part of my life. 1. St Kilda Club member: I am a passionate and crazy Sainter. Just hope we will win the second flag soon, especially after Dogs and Tigers having ended long premiership draughts. 2. The Osaka Dingoes Player and Public Relations Officer: Player number 44 that I chose to honour Stephen Milne with my wish being like a small forward like him. Lenny Hayes' hardworking attitudes are adopted on my trainings and practices. Nick Riewoldt's great plays are in my player audiobook too. 3. Writing: Here on the Almanac and also on the World Footy News. My skills utilise on great footy websites.

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