Fullfilling Your Mentorship Role As A Coach
Laying the groundwork for positive and successful mentorships between a youth coach and the athletes we mentor is in important part of the athlete experience and can make or break a team during the season.
Laying the groundwork for positive and successful mentorships between a youth coach and the athletes we mentor is an important part of the athlete experience and can make or break a team during the season. #DailyMight
As a youth sports coach I take the mentorship role I’ve been assigned very seriously. Laying the groundwork for positive and successful mentorships between a youth coach and the athletes we mentor is in important part of the athlete experience and can make or break a team during the season. Lucky for all of us, Jesus created a model of what all other mentors should do and act like with His relationship between him and his disciples.
But first, lets remind ourselves what mentorship means: Guidance provided by an experienced and trusted adviser. There is a vital word to note there in trust. The difference between teacher, coach, and mentor – is often boiled down to trust. Why? Because mentorship is more than just punching a clock and teaching a curriculum (that kind of focused instruction is not a bad thing, that’s not my point). My point is, mentorship is much more exhaustive than teaching, and even coaching.
Mentorship is relationship based.
One of the strongest indicators of successful mentorship is correction. And correction can be hard to take when the relationship is in question and the there is no trust. When a mentor has to correct a mentee, the relationship demands of them to indicate to mentees what they were doing is wrong – but they also must show them why they were wrong. That’ where the trust comes in. Without the trust of the why, the relationship can be weak and mentorship success limited.
Mentorship is time consuming.
The single most valuable commodity of mentorship is time (as in it’s time consuming to mentor effectively). Mentors and mentees often walk along side of each other during the process, asking questions and making comments to each other that apply directly to a given situation that enhance and grow the relationship. It takes time to explain the why, more time than other relationships. Situations have to present themselves, and when they do, the mentor can then direct how they would overcome the situation. This isn’t just sports either, but in ALL facets of life currently and in the future.
Mentorship is rooted in hope.
The silver lining in mentorship is the predicated success and growth of a mentee. Truth is, the very idea of the mentor is hope (for growth) in the mentee. That’s because the mentor believes that the ones they teach and lead can become something better and greater. A mentor should always present a hopeful, positive image, so a mentee can emulate that hope in growth.
Jesus was, by all accounts, the only perfect example of a mentor in the Bible and what should be strived for. The Son of God, who had a limited amount of time as a man on earth, understood the importance of mentorship and the dedication to time and energy needed for it to be successful. He constantly lead, taught, questioned, commended, and corrected so that the disciples would be ready to serve as mentors after him. If you ask me, that sounds a lot like what we do for our athletes as coaches.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
PROVERBS 9:9
I would propose to you what I call the Mentorship Value Propositions that I’ve gathered over the last couple years. A way for coaches to remind themselves daily of the importance of the mentorship relationship:
- I am contagious; Your energy is reciprocated; Positive = Positive;
- I am centered; You can’t mentor effectively if you are drained/exhausted;
- I am committed; Use time effectively to build the foundation which builds up others;
- I am conscious; Be deliberate of your delivery of mentorship principles;
Here’s my call to action to you as a youth sports coach: Dive into relational mentorship with your coaching philosophy. By doing so, this gives athletes ground rules they could follow as they engage with coaches, teammates, and officials for an enjoyable and fruitful time spend.
Give everything your everything. And then some.
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