In the definition of mentoring offered by Weaver and Celldurai (1999), they state the role of the mentor is to:
"Serve as a role model, provide guidance and support to a developing novice and sponsor that novice in his / her career progress."
If you have acted as a Mentor to a coach, or indeed a player, within your club or organisation, you may well have offered guidance and support to them. But there are certainly other things that a mentor can do to aid the development of a coach.
How about:
- Act As A Role Model
- Facilitate Their Professional Growth
- Evaluate Their Plans And Discussions
- Monitor Progress And Provide Feedback
There are also many qualities - or ingredients - that a mentor will bring to their relationship with their mentee coach, which we've highlighted in the image below.
Which ones have you experienced in your Mentor-Mentee relationships?
This list is by no means representative of the perfect mentoring relationship, nor will all of these ingredients feature in a single setting or session.
Which ingredients feature will depend upon, among other things, the mentor’s experience and skills, the mentee or coach’s needs and wants, the stage of the relationship, the environment within which it is taking place and the length of time available.
In our Coach Mentor Diploma course, led by our coach development mentors Sarah McQuade, Linda Low & John Ackerley we explore in depth the different roles and qualities that a mentor will possess and bring to the Mentor-Mentee relationship.
The course will also provide coaches with a valuable CPD opportunity that will ultimately create a better environment for players to develop and achieve success. And on completion, coaches will also receive a United Soccer Coaches Diploma certificate.
So, if your work involves supporting other coaches through their development and you would like to learn how to do this more effectively, join our latest intake on our Coach Mentor Diploma.
Click the link, add the course to the basket and secure your place in this exclusive cohort.
The former West Ham United and Stevenage midfielder moved into management with Ebbsfleet in 2014, before a spell in charge at Macclesfield.
In 2020, Daryl took the helm at the Daggers and this season steered them to an eighth-place finish.
Daryl talks in the Coaches Coffee Club about his career in the game, as well as his views on what makes a great coach, while also sharing with us one of his favourite sessions.