Young at Heart October

Young at Heart

News Photo by James Andersen Alpena High School boys soccer coach Tim Storch shouts instructions to his team during a game against Petoskey last month.

Passion on the sidelines

TIM STORCH STAYS ACTIVE COACHING SOCCER PLAYERS TO EXCELLENCE

By JAMES ANDERSEN News Assistant Managing Editor

ALPENA — Signs of age remind Tim Storch every morning that he’s ev ery bit of 66 years old.

But, in mind and in spirit, Storch says he feels 40 years younger.

“Every morning, I look in the mir ror and say, ‘Who’s that old guy looking back at me?’” Storch said with a laugh. “I don’t have all the hair I used to have, which is a distant memory.”

For more than 40 years, Storch has stayed active by molding athletes and teams as a varsity soccer coach. He spent 30 years downstate at Troy Athens High School and has been the Alpena High School boys and girls soccer coach since 2011.

“It’s one of those things where I was always a very active athlete,” Storch said. “That’s where I took out all my aggres sion and energy. Coaching’s really pro vided a way to get the same kind of high by helping other people achieve their ex pectations and their excellence.”

To say Storch’s coaching resume is impressive is an understatement. He’s won more than 1,000 games in his ca reer, including nine state championships — boys titles in 1981, 1983, 1984, 1989, and 1997, and girls titles in 1989, 1991, 1993, and 2000. He’s also been inducted into multiple halls of fame.

But, more than wins, Storch is driven by his passion for the game and passing that passion on to his players.

That passion and energy is still evident

on the sidelines, where Storch can some times wear his emotions on his sleeve.

“I think my strength as a coach has al ways been my passion,” Storch said. “I’m a pretty good X’s-and-O’s guy, a pretty good tactician, but my real strength is my passion.”

That passion is also a big reason why he gravitated toward the Alpena job more than a decade ago. At Athens, he became a head coach at 24 and built the boys and girls programs from scratch into perennial powerhouses.

“My career at Athens, I had a tremen dous depth of talent,” Storch said. “It was, ‘OK, we’re going to try to compete for state championships every year,’ and many times we did.”

Storch held a longtime affinity for

Northeast Michigan after regularly vaca tioning in the Alpena area growing up. In Alpena, he saw an opportunity to keep coaching and give something back to the game.

He stepped into both varsity soc cer coaching roles right away and later added the role of Alpena athletic direc tor for several years, helping to oversee additions to Alpena facilities, including a scoreboard and turf field at Wildcat Sta dium.

Coaching in Alpena is a contrast to the teams Storch coached at Athens, but, in 12 years, Alpena’s program has been transformed under his direction. The Wildcats have set new program records for wins under his watch, players have set new school records, and the Wildcats have improved tremendously from talent and tactical standpoints.

“My goal was to expand the program, make it relevant in the school, then make it relevant in the community, then make it relevant in the conference,” Storch said. “I’ve taken a lot of pride in seeing the program improve.”

Storch stepped down as Alpena’s girls coach last spring to spend winters vaca tioning in Florida, but he has no plans to stop coaching anytime soon.

Storch stays active coaching in the winter as an assistant coach for the Na ples Gulf Coast High School boys soc cer team. In March 2021, he helped the Sharks win a state championship, his 10th as a coach.

“When I started, I became a head coach at 24 and I really thought at that point that I’d coach as long as I taught,” Storch said. “I knew I’d get up there if I enjoyed it, but to think that I spent 42 years at two schools (is amazing).

News Photo by James Andersen

Alpena High boys soccer coach Tim Storch watches his team during a recent practice at Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium.

The pros and cons of early retirement

Retirement is a milestone that is often the byproduct of decades of hard work. Though a growing number of working professionals have no intention of ever retiring, the vast majority of adults look forward to the day when they can call it a career.

prospect of early retirement is enticing to millions of people. Though retiring early may seem like a no brainer for individuals in position to do so,

careful consideration of the pros and cons of early retirement can ensure people make the best decision.

Benefits of early retirement

For many people, early retirement is less about finding a beach to relax on and more about pivoting to a second career. In fact, a recent report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute in dicated that 74 percent of workers plan to get a new job after they retire. In such instances, early retirement is often about turning a long-time passion into a second career. That can help adults achieve a lifelong dream, making it one of the bet ter reasons to retire early. Another advantage to retiring early is the chance to spend more quality time with family. One study from the Ameri can Psychological Association found that more than half of working profession als now check work emails after work hours, including on weekends. Forty-four percent even check their email while on vacation. Early retirement enables indi viduals to escape that round-the-clock career commitment, affording retirees a chance to spend more unfiltered quality time with the people they love most.

Retiring early also provides an oppor tunity to escape a daily grind that many people have indicated has become in creasingly burdensome in recent years. The 2021 Work and Well-Being Survey from the American Psychological Associ ation found that 79 percent of the rough ly 1,500 adults surveyed had experienced work-related stress in the month prior to participating. Work is a leading cause of stress for many people, and stress has been linked to a host of health problems. Individuals who can retire early can ben efit from less stress in their lives.

Disadvantages to retiring early

Retiring early can seem like a dream, but it could turn into a nightmare for people whose finances aren’t as robust as they need to be to support a lengthy retirement. One report from the Boston College Center for Retirement Research found that around 50 percent of working families face a significant decline in their standard of living during retirement. Life expectancy has been on the rise in devel

oped countries since 1900, so retiring too early carries some significant financial risk for people who have saved but not necessarily saved enough.

Retiring early also could make people more vulnerable to cognitive decline than they would be if they keep working. One study from researchers at Scotland’s Uni versity of St. Andrews found that people who wait until age 67 to retire experience less cognitive decline than people who re tire prior to turning 67.

Out-of-pocket medical costs are an other significant disadvantage to retir ing early. Employer-sponsored medical insurance tends to cost individuals less than private plans, which is a significant consideration for individuals at a point in their lives when they may need to visit doctors more often.

Early retirement has its advantages and disadvantages. Individuals must con sider both to make the best decision for them.

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Simple ways to lessen your financial load after 50

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We are your Home Town Independent Health Mart Pharmacy and we are accepting new patients!

By the time people reach their fif tieth birthday, many have begun to imagine what their life in retirement may look like. Though data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates the number of people working into their 70s increased significantly during the first two decades of the twentieth cen tury, the vast majority of professionals still call it a career sometime during their 60s.

problem for young consumers, but a 2021 report from ValuePenguin found that the median credit card debt among individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 was higher than it was for consumers aged 35 to 44. Paying in cash, whether it’s with paper cur rency or a debit card, ensures you’re not digging yourself into debt.

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Retirement may still be a long way off for people who are 50 or in their early 50s, but around this time thoughts of what retirement could be compel many people to seek ways to reduce their financial load in anticipa tion of the day when they will no lon ger be working. Cutting back needn’t be complicated, and the following are some simple ways for individuals 50 and over to save money.

• Address unsecured debt. Unse cured debt, which can include credit card balances and medical bills, tends to carry higher interest rates than debts that carry a collateral require ment. According to the Federal Reserve, roughly 12.5 percent of indi viduals over 50 still have student loan debt, which is another type of unse cured debt. If possible, people over 50 should pay off these debts imme diately or make their best effort to pay extra each month so they are paid off as soon as possible.

• Pay in “cash.” It’s not enough to simply pay off unsecured debt like consumer credit. It’s also important to stop accruing additional debt. Indi viduals over 50 should resist the temp tation to use their credit cards, instead paying with cash or debit cards. Credit card debt is often characterized as a

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• Reexamine your housing situation. Adults 50 and over who purchased their home in their late 20s or early 30s are likely nearing the maturity date on their mortgages. If so, paying a little extra toward the principal each month will help you pay off that mort gage a good deal earlier than if you keep paying the same amount you’ve been paying for years. Though pay ing extra money each month may not seem like reducing your financial load, it will do so considerably over time. For example, the financial experts at Wells Fargo note that individuals with a fixed-rate mortage loan of $200,000 at 4 percent can cut the term of that loan by more than 4.5 years by pay ing as little as $100 extra each month toward their principal. Homeowners over 50 who have already paid off a significant percentage of their mort gage loans could reach maturity much sooner if they start paying more to ward principal now. Since housing costs are many people’s greatest ex pense, removing a mortgage payment from your financial ledger by the time you reach 55 could create significant financial flexibility as you get closer to retirement.

Individuals over 50 can utilize some simple yet effective strategies to reduce their financial obligations as retire ment nears.

What seniors should know about social media safety

Seniors might not be the demo graphic individuals initially associate with social media. However, Pew Re search notes that seniors’ social media usage has been steadily rising for a number of years, proving that individu als 65 and over are not tech-averse.

Pew data from 2019 indicates that 46 percent of individuals 65 and older use Facebook. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be a great way to stay connected with fam ily and friends and stay up-to-date on community events. But social media usage is not without risks, especially in regard to users’ safety. Seniors without much social media experience can heed these safety tips as they navigate popu lar platforms and discover all they have to offer.

• Examine your account settings. Social media users can control their privacy settings so they can decide who can (and can’t) view their online activ ity. Each platform is different, but pro files set to public generally allow anyone to view individuals’ activity, so seniors should set their profiles to private to limit access to their information.

• Be mindful of your social media social circle. It’s easy to make virtual friends via social media, but seniors should be mindful of who they accept

as online friends. Carefully consider each friend request and decide just how big or small you want your social me dia community to be. Many individuals prefer to limit their online social circles to individuals they know well and want to stay in touch with, and that can serve as a good measuring stick when deciding whether or not to accept a friend request.

• Avoid sharing personal information. Seniors are no doubt aware that they should never share especially per sonal information, such as their Social Security number. However, seniors also should hesitate to share personal infor mation like vacation plans. Seniors who post about upcoming trips could return home to find they’ve been victimized by criminals who scoured their social media accounts and learned when they were going to be away. A good rule of thumb is to keep personal information private and limit posts to information that is not overly specific or sensitive.

• Recognize the threat posed by scammers. Social media platforms have had varying degrees of success in regard to keeping their sites scam-free. But scammers find a way, and users must take steps to avoid being victimized. Never click on a link within a post from someone you don’t know and avoid anyone

soliciting donations through social me dia platforms.

Seniors are engaging with social media more than ever. Such engage

ment requires seniors to be mindful of the many ways to protect their privacy when spending time online.

Long-term solutions to protect joints

Periodic aches and pains can affect anyone. Individuals who are physically active and even those who live largely sedentary life styles may experience pain from time to time. In fact, many pro fessional and amateur athletes experience relatively minor, shortterm injuries at one point or another, and rest is often the best remedy to overcome such obstacles.

Though minor tweaks may be somewhat normal, long-term issues like persistent joint pain should not be written off as par for the course. It can be tempting to write joint pain off as a concern only serious athletes need to worry about. Terms like “tennis elbow” and “runner’s knee” can give less physically active indi viduals a false impression of joint pain and what causes it. But the Mayo Clinic notes that lack of exercise can contribute to pain and stiffness in the joints. That’s because exercise strengthens the muscles and tissues that surround the joints. That added strength puts less stress on the joints.

In recognition of the threat posed by chronic joint pain, the Arthritis Foundation® recommends individuals take various steps to protect their joints over the long haul.

• Focus less on fashion in regard to footwear. High heels may be the epito me of glamorous footwear, but women who routinely wear high heels will pay a steep price. The AF notes that heels put added stress on the knees and in crease risk for osteoporosis, and ex perts indicate that three-inch heels are

seven times more stressful on feet than one-inch heels. But women aren’t the only ones whose footwear fashion sense could be hurting their joints. Men also must pay attention to what they’re put ting on their feet. For example, sandals without a back strap force toes to over grip the edge of the sandal, putting

needless strain on each foot and poten tially causing issues with the toes.

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• Alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. Joint stiff ness and strain can develop when indi viduals spend lengthy periods of time sitting or standing. The AF recom mends taking a break to stand up or sit down every 30 minutes. Professionals who sit at a desk all day may want to switch to height-adjustable desks that make it easy for them to transition from sitting to standing and still get their work done.

each extra pound an individual carries puts four times the stress on his or her knees. Exercising to lose weight can provide the added benefit of prevent ing joint stiffness.

• Opt for low-impact activities. Lowimpact activities like cycling and swim ming are easier on the joints than fit ness classes that involve high-intensity dancing and kickboxing. In addition, when choosing between a treadmill and elliptical machine, the Mayo Clin ic notes that ellipticals are generally considered low-impact machines that are less stressful on the knees, hips and back than running on a treadmill or even outdoors.

Various strategies can help individu als maintain healthy, pain-free joints over the long haul.

On the flip side,

• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight causes a ripple effect that impacts the entire body, including the joints. The AF notes that researchers have determined that losing 11 pounds can reduce risk for osteoarthritis of the knee by 50 percent.

What to do with your portfolio after 50

A fiftieth birthday is often character ized as a milestone moment. Despite that reputation, upon crossing the halfcentury threshold, individuals typically don’t feel that much different than they did when they were still a fun-loving 49-year-old. Though there might not be much to distinguish a 49-year-old from a 50-year-old, a fiftieth birthday is a good time reassess certain parts of life, includ ing finances.

Conventional financial wisdom has long suggested reducing risk as retirement age draws closer. But a 2021 survey from American Advisors Group found that 18 percent of respondents indicated their intention to work past the age of 70, while another 12 percent indicated they have no plans to ever stop working full-time. Conventional financial wisdom rooted in retiring around the age of 65 may not apply to individuals who intend to work well past that age. That means recently minted fiftysomethings could benefit from adopting a new perspec tive on managing their money after they reach 50.

• Work with a fiduciary. Fiduciaries

differ from other financial advisors in a significant way. According to Investope dia, fiduciaries are legally bound to put their client’s best interests ahead of their own. Working with a fiduciary can pro vide peace of mind for individuals who want to know the person they’re trusting to guide their financial decisions is work ing on their behalf. That peace of mind can be especially valuable for individuals over 50 who don’t have as much time to make up for financial losses as younger people. Investopedia notes that some brokerage firms do not want or allow their brokers to be fiduciaries, so investors should make sure they’re aware of the legal responsibilities of anyone they trust to manage their money.

• Monitor the progress of your retire ment accounts. Tracking the performance of retirement accounts like a 401(k) and IRA takes on more significance after 50, even for individuals who don’t see them selves retiring anytime soon. Monitor how particular investments are perform ing and reallocate funds if certain ones have not performed well in some time. Most investments will go up and down,

but people over 50 can monitor perfor mance more closely than they used to so they get an idea of which ones are work ing for them and which could be com promising their ability to enjoy financial flexibility in the decades to come.

• Resist the temptation to avoid stocks entirely. A recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet found that life expectancy, which has increased dra matically across the globe since 1900, is expected to continue increasing in developed countries in the decades to come. That means people won’t only be working

longer, but living longer as well. Investors 50 and over can prepare for that longer life expectancy by utilizing the growth potential of stocks even after they hit the half century mark. Limiting exposure to risk after 50 is still important, but avoid ing investment risks entirely could lead to a financial shortfall down the road. Managing a portfolio after 50 requires careful consideration of various factors.

Deft management of an investment portfolio after 50 can ensure investors don’t outlive their money.

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