Winning Ways
Though a consistent ESI leader, it is Chuck Creighton's accomplishments after work that really impress.

Among Philadelphia associate Chuck Creighton's accomplishments during the past year are another one of many qualifications for ESI's prestigious Circle of Excellence and the Philadelphia Inquirer's High School Girls Basketball Coach of the Year Award. Yes, Chuck not only has a thriving financial services practice in ESI's Philadelphia Branch, but in his "spare time" led the Archbishop Carroll High School (Radnor Pennsylvania) girls basketball team to at 30-1 record and the Class AAA Pennsylvania state championship.

Lest you think this is a bunch of kids needing a parent volunteer to have a team, don't be fooled. Basketball is serious business in the Philadelphia area, and the Archbishop Carroll team is a perennial basketball powerhouse. They played in front of 7,500 spectators and a T.V. audience when Chuck led them to the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship in February. And the state championship, held at Penn State three weeks later in front of a crowd of almost 4,000, was the first ever for a Philadelphia Catholic League school. Class AAA is the second largest (student population) of Pennsylvania high schools, and three of Carroll's players will go on to play Division I college basketball on athletic scholarships.

Why would one choose to pursue this level of coaching while running a very busy and thriving financial services practice during a challenging economy? The answer is that he didn't exactly plan it that way but is glad it worked out. After volunteering as a part time assistant at the school last year (all he could manage with a busy investment practice), he had no choice but to accept the head coaching role after the unexpected departure of the former coach.

It was a win-win situation. Chuck got the chance to pursue his coaching passion and the players got a knowledgeable and experienced hoops coach who just happens to be one of those extraordinary role models that any parent would beg to have their child around every day.

As it is in his financial services practice, it is about more than the bottom line, but about helping people and being a positive contributor to your community. As a coach, he pays as much attention to helping develop these girls into good people and good citizens as he does to winning games.

"Basketball is a microcosm of life," Chuck explained when asked what was the most rewarding aspect of coaching. "These girls learn life's lessons - how to set goals, how to overcome adversity and how to be positive role models. We talk to these girls all the time about how they are in a position to have a positive effect on others through the way they conduct themselves and through community service."

His advice to his players is much the same as his commitment to his clients. "Work as hard as you can, just keep getting better, and keep perspective on what is really important."