Marcia - 2:01 am on Jul 8, 2007 (gmt 0)

There's an important distinction that needs to be drawn. A coach for a team is an employee and a level of control and exclusivity is part of that kind of arrangement. The relationship with a client as an independent contractor is an entirely different matter, from a legal and contractual standpoint. Work is paid for, but there's no control over the person's activities.

For example, with a designer or a programmer working as an employee, copyright and trademark privileges belong to the employer, and hours and regulations and specifications on how, where and when work is performed can be expected. Not so with an independent contractor. Intrinsic in the description and work status of an independent contractor is that they're "independent" and also, can't be resricted in any way from doing work for others, unless there's a specific agreement to the effect.

This loyalty ploy is emotional blackmail from the sound of it.