Coaching: Finding a Mentor

written by Pete Van Mullem, Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, ID

Mentoring is the act of guiding another person. Examples include advising, teaching, instructing, and helping (Potrac & Marshall, 2011). When we think of mentorship in sport, an image of a coach guiding and nurturing a student-athlete may come to mind. While this scenario is often true, mentorship can also be a powerful educational method for aspiring coaches in learning how to coach (Jones, Harris, & Miles, 2009). Established coaches frequently state that their best learning experiences as a coach occurred under the guidance of a mentor (Cushion, 2006).

I cherish the memories I shared with great mentors in my life and often wonder what makes a leader go a little further to care about the personal and professional development of those they lead? What is the incentive for a mentor to grow others? What drives someone to have a mentor-leader mentality?

Mentor leaders have a purposeful intent to positively impact those they lead (Dungy & Whitaker, 2010). Well known for being a mentor-leader, former NFL football coach Tony Dungy (website) discusses the importance of being service focused. "Mentor leadership must be grounded in, and springing from, an emphasis on service as its primary focus. Mentor leaders desire to help those they are privileged to lead to be better in whatever roles and responsibilities they have." (Dungy & Whitaker, 2010, p. 39).

Notably the significance of a mentor/mentee relationship in coaching heightens the desire for a novice coach to seek the guidance of a mentor coach. However, the desire to have a mentor may not be coupled with the ability to find one. Finding a coach that embraces their role as a mentor to others is often a case of being in the right place at the right time (Bloom, Durand-Bush, Schinke, & Salmela, 1998). Left to chance, a coach may never receive the benefit and guidance of having a mentor question and confront them in learning to grow as a coach (Cushion, 2006).

Although the process of finding a mentor can be challenging, the following three methods may increase the opportunity for a mentor/mentee relationship to occur; 1) actively seek guidance, 2) develop the mindset of a mentee, and 3) seek positions under servant leaders.

Early in my coaching career I was fortunate to be a part of a positive mentor-mentee relationship. Rarely a day went by that I did not speak with my mentor, Mike Cole, regarding player management, parents, team concepts, etc. I was a sub-varsity coach in a program where Mike served as the head coach. He represented all the components to ensure a mentor-mentee relationship were present; expert knowledge of the sport (five state championships), experience (20-plus seasons), and possibly the most important was his approachability (willingness to share his time) (Nash, 2003).

Mentoring is a direct, one-on-one relationship. As such, it has the potential to cut into your time significantly. You can lead without mentoring by choosing not to become engaged with your group; but mentor leadership requires a deliberate decision to get involved in someone else's life (Dungy & Whitaker, 2010, p. 117).

Coach Cole willingly gave his time, and made a deliberate decision to get involved with my life. Immediately following my evening practices, I would place a phone call to Coach Cole and reflect on my recent practice session. Being able to receive consistent interactions and post-practice reflection, my learning process as a young coach was greatly accelerated (Cushion, 2006).

Having experienced the positive benefits of mentor-leadership, I wanted more. As I continued to advance my career, I found myself seeking mentorship from every coach I worked with. Frustratingly, my wishes were not easily fulfilled. I soon realized that a mentor-mentee relationship, while powerful, was not readily available.

...the coaching environment can be nurtured as a place where professional learning and development takes place. However, when going into, and being part of, a potentially productive coach-assistant relationship, the individuals concerned should be aware of the different interests and motives that might underpin the potential interaction (Ronglan, 2011).

The challenges of finding a mentor-mentee relationship should not discourage the pursuit of seeking guidance. Interestingly, by requesting assistance you give respect to a potential mentor (Jones & Bailey, 2011). This action demonstrates the desire to learn and grow, placing you in the role of a potential mentee. Thus, increasing the opportunities for a social bond to form and a mentor-mentee relationship to develop.

Even though I was receiving the benefits of a mentor-mentee relationship early in my coaching career, I did not realize at the time I was playing the role of the mentee. A typical mentee will demonstrate the following qualities:

1. Ability to accept personal responsibility;
2. Dedicated to continuous improvement;
3. Believe they control their own success; and
4. Be respectful of their mentors time (NIAAA, 2004).

My desire to get better as a young coach placed me in the role of a potential mentee. As I reflect on the mentor/mentee relationship I shared with Coach Cole, I also remember being respectful of his time. Not pushing him for more time, but simply taking advantage of the time he gave me. The mentor/mentee relationship that developed between Coach Cole and I was not a purposeful attempt to be guided by a mentor. However, if I had sought him out with this intention, the relationship could still have developed in a similar fashion. Part of the success of the relationship was built on me demonstrating the qualities of a mentee, and accepting personal responsibilities for my success and failures.

In reflection, I realize that I was not the only one benefiting from the mentor/mentee relationship and that the success of the relationship was built on a dependence experienced by both parties (Jones & Bailey, 2011). Coach Cole seemed to be re-energized by our daily interactions. Our communication likely challenged him to think through a scenario he may not be familiar with on a daily basis. Therefore, he was provided an opportunity to learn, reflect, and refine his coaching methods (Bloom et al, 1998). The mentor/mentee relationship continued to grow and develop, as each of us was able to see the benefits of our frequent discussions.

The realization that finding a mentor could be greatly enhanced by seeking assistance and having a mentee mindset quickly allowed multiple mentors to enter my life. I was amazed at the number of coaches I worked for that embraced the mentor-leader mindset, and I realized that one's career could be greatly enhanced by searching for and working under leaders with a servant leadership mentality.

Seeking guidance, and understanding the role of a mentee, are critical components of developing positive mentor-mentee relationship. However, the best way to find a potential mentor is to work for a servant leader. Servant leaders consider the development of the individual first, modeling a course of right action, and inspiring others to do the same (Greenleaf, 1990).

Interestingly, in the coaching profession the acquisition of a coaching position can be a highly competitive process. A coach does not always get to be selective when applying for positions. Regardless, in the process of searching for positions it would be beneficial for a coach to examine the leadership style of their potential supervisor and possible mentor. Do they have a servant-leader mentality?

Seeking to parlay my high school coaching experience into a coaching position at the collegiate level, I spent a couple summers traveling across the United States working basketball camps. I was ambitious, one summer working eight one-week camps at eight different universities. The experience was invaluable as I met basketball coaches at every competitive level of sport. While it may have been possible to meet a mentor during my travels, more importantly I gained valuable insight on who the servant leaders were. The topic of conversation among coaches was always centered on the value of finding someone that was not only a proven winner in sport, but interested in your career and helping you reach your goals (i.e. servant leader).

Having reaped the benefits of an influential mentor when I first started coaching, I continually sought mentor-leaders throughout my coaching career. Although not always successful, I was fortunate to have a variety of mentor/mentee relationships. Servant leaders willing to stand side-by-side with me while they were leading. Tony Dungy describes how he was influenced by a servant leader while working under his mentor, Chuck Noll (former coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers) (Dungy & Whitaker, 2010).

He continued to teach me and give me the tools I needed to coach successfully, and as I came to understand and appreciate more of the system and what we were trying to accomplish, he would give me more responsibility. He was the consummate teacher, and he did all this with an intentional, direct style – leading, but always willing to walk beside me as a mentor leader (p. 119).

Motivated and influenced by the emotionally intense, socially dynamic and highly interactive nature of coaching (Jones, Potrac, Cushion, & Ronglan, 2011), a coach should consider seeking the guidance of a mentor leader by asking for assistance, developing the mindset of a mentee, and seeking positions under servant leaders. Arguably, the long-term success of a coach is nurtured and developed by continually being influenced by positive mentor/mentee relationships throughout their career.

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