OHT 1
A Guide to Mentoring Sports Coaches
By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:
•
identify important learning opportunities for coaches
•
explain how a mentor can help to maximise these learning opportunities
•
•
•
outline the potential roles of the mentor in different coach education
programmes
describe different mentor roles
manage the self-reflection, coach profiling and development planning
processes
•
identify the core skills of mentoring
•
develop a personal mentor profile and development plan.
OHT 2
The Roles of a Mentor
Learning Stage of Coach
modelling (Level 1)
Mentor Role
role model, observer
competency (Level 2)
observer, provider of
feedback
questioning (Level 3)
challenger
autonomy (Level 4)
partner in critical
enquiry
OHT 3
The Mentoring Continuum
Informal
Ad hoc meeting
Formal
Friendship
Coach/assistant
Qualification
Programme
OHT 4
Mentoring Programmes – Two Models
Mentoring
Coaching courses
Coaching courses
Mentoring
Mentoring
Coach behaviour
Coach behaviour
OHT 5
Learning Styles
• Theorists
– logical thinkers, it must fit the framework.
• Reflectors
– must think it through and feel in control of
the new material/idea before using it.
• Pragmatists
– problem solvers who seek solutions to
identified problems but rarely look beyond
immediate needs.
• Activists
– learn by doing, happy to use trial and error.
OHT 6
The Self-reflection Spiral
Experience
Experience
Description
Action Plan
Describe the
experience
What will you do
next time?
Evaluation/Analysis
What was good/bad about
the experience and why?
Conclusion
What are your options
addressing this?
OHT 7
Mentor Roles in Reflection
What support can you give at each stage of the reflective cycle?
Suggest suitable mentor behaviour:
•
•
•
•
•
during the event
in the description stage
in evaluation
to assist in reaching a conclusion
in development planning.
OHT 8
Mentoring Situations
Mentoring is not just about observation and evaluation:
• Outline some potential mentoring situations in your sport.
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of these
situations for a mentoring relationship?
• What factors affect the mentoring relationship?
OHT 9
Coach Profiling
• Outlines the coach’s self-image.
• Helps to develop empathy between mentor and coach.
• Helps the mentor to be relevant to the coach’s
expressed needs.
• Is the basis for a development plan for the coach.
OHT 10
Profiling Instructions
• The coach outlines the qualities of a good coach in his/her
opinion.
• The meaning of each quality is clarified by the coach.
• The coach selects the most important qualities.
• These are plotted on the profile.
• The coach rates him/herself in each quality on a scale of
one to ten.
• The score is plotted on the profile.
OHT 11
Structure of a Mentoring Situation
• Pre-session meeting
• Activity/meeting
• Post-session reflection
OHT 12
Important Aims
• Pre-session meeting
–
–
–
–
A shared understanding
Clarifying expectations
Establishing priorities
Agreeing goals
• Session
– Normality
– Interaction depends on: event, stage of learning of the
coach, level of acquaintance
• Reflection
– Quality of communication
– Coach leads
– Beware of advising and fixing
OHT 13
Active Listening
• Active listening … try to:
– listen actively … use body language
– pay full attention to the coach, clarify details
– demonstrate you are listening by paraphrasing points.
• Active listening … avoid:
– interrupting
– thinking about what you want to say rather than listening
– making judgements.
• Use questioning to manage the interaction.
OHT 14
Feedback
• Giving feedback
– Make sure your comments are relevant to the coach’s
immediate aims and objectives.
– Ask the coach to explain his/her thinking before you offer
feedback.
– Avoid advising and fixing where possible.
• Feedback should:
–
–
–
–
–
be specific
be immediate
be understood
help the coach evaluate himself/herself
be for the coach and not about the coach.
OHT 15
Mentoring Can:
• serve as a motivational experience for coaches
• improve your own coaching by analysis of another’s methods
and ideas
• improve your coaching by enhancing coaching-related skills
such as communication skills, analysis and observation
• give job satisfaction and a sense of great achievement
• build greater awareness of the needs of other coaches
• challenge preconceptions and beliefs
• assist coaches with self-reflection.
OHT 16
Mentoring Can Also:
• promote your own sport
• help to pool knowledge in coaching.
As a mentor you have the opportunity to help other coaches to
develop and reach their full potential. Mentoring can also help
to clarify what you need to do to reach yours.
OHT 17
Summary: Critical Success Factors
• Step One: know exactly why your organisation wants a
mentoring programme and design your programme goals
accordingly.
• Step Two: decide exactly what you want and expect from
your mentors and coaches and communicate this
effectively.
• Step Three: match mentors and coaches in a way best
designed to ensure success.
• Step Four: manage the mentoring relationship
appropriately.
OHT 18
Relationship Triangle
Coach
Mentor
Programme
manager