A couple of months ago, while I was working on my laptop, the screen suddenly went black. The crash came without warning, and I had no idea what had just happened.

So... I turned it off, hoping that with a little rest, everything would be okay. I'd simply turn it back on and continue to work. However, when I pushed the start button again, the screen remained black. That didn't seem good.

The following day I took it to Best Buy. Why Best Buy? Well, they have the Geek Squad, and with my understanding of computers, that's what I needed. Of course, I was extremely concerned that they would speak Geek and I'd still be lost.

While I didn't exactly understand the language and explanations of the Geek Squad, I was able to communicate with hand signals, facial expressions, and shouts. They weren't deaf, but shouting seemed to help my frustration.

Somehow I got the message that my hard drive had crashed and received an estimated cost for repair. The Head Geek pointed out that I could lose all my files, documents, and software, and warned me the repairs would take several days.

A week later, I picked up my repaired laptop and was told that I had indeed lost everything. "Everything" meant that six years of documents, reports, files, and statistics were nothing but a distant memory. It was literally like losing a family member because all the family photos that were once saved were gone.

Like most athletic directors, I depend upon computers. I do everything with them--keep records, write letters and memos, send e-mails, postpone games. And yes, I knew that I should back up my files. But I was careless and always in a hurry. Most athletic directors know the feeling: We never have enough time to do everything. Where would I find time to back up my files? Besides, I had never had a problem before. That kind of stuff happens to others, not me.

Well, lesson learned. I lost six years of valuable, and in some cases irreplaceable, documents. Hopefully, you can learn from my misfortune. Here's what I did and hope I continue to do:

1. At the suggestion of the Geek Squad, I immediately purchased a portable, external hard drive to back up my laptop's hard drive. (They assured me they weren't trying to make money from my unfortunate situation.) Once every 24 hours, it automatically backs up any new documents or revisions. The external hard drive wasn't too expensive and it provides great peace of mind. Why didn't someone tell me about this years ago? Well, maybe someone did and I didn't pay attention.

2. If I think something is irreplaceable, I also save it to a CD. I now keep one in my laptop just for this purpose. That way, I have this document or folder in at least two additional locations.

3. While I have always kept notes, drafts, and final hard copy of important presentations and documents, I now try to remind myself to file them as soon as possible. Okay, this step will be difficult for me, but I intend to try. Heck, one look at my laptop is all I need for a visual reminder.

Back up now or pay later! I speak from experience.

David Hoch, CMAA, is Athletic Director at Loch Raven High School in Baltimore County, Md. He is a frequent contributor to Athletic Management.