‘Empowering connections’: developing a coach mentoring framework

Abstract

Mentoring has often been advocated as a method of harnessing the influential power of experience through guidance, observation, and reflective practice, allowing coaches to become better equipped to deal with the uncertain nature of coaching. Although much of the discourse on mentoring is set in a positive light, it continues to lack conceptual clarity, with no current universal definition available. Aligned to this, specific research into the programme at the heart of this study, also highlights the need for both wider, and more contextual research. Therefore, with this research being conducted into an established programme, broadly pragmatic research methods were adopted to ensure the research was sensitive to the social, historical and political context of the enquiry.

The purpose of study one was to investigate the mentoring process from the mentee’s perspective. Employing a questionnaire, the results of the study indicated a lack of clarity and understanding of the role of the mentor/mentee relationship in supporting coaching practice. Hence, building on the outcome of study one, study two interviewed four key managers within The FA with responsibility for mentoring to explore how they conceptualized the role of mentors in supporting coach development. The outcome of this study indicated an emphasis on ensuring mentors build healthy rapport with mentees to help provide clarity and understanding of the mentors role in supporting the grassroots coach. Clearly, a conceptual gap appeared to exist between what mentees were experiencing and what The FA were aiming to deliver. Consequently, study three created and presented an applied mentoring framework to support mentors in defining their role and help mentees understand the mentor/mentee relationship. Using a Delphi Study approach, the mentoring framework was shared with an independent panel of mentoring experts who provided constructive critical feedback to shape and help develop the mentoring process in context. As a consequence of this research, the mentoring framework is now employed by the FA to support the delivery of the national FA mentoring programme.

To support the research and findings further, a reflexive thread, and my own personal narrative is highlighted via the text, sketches and doodles to help the reader navigate my thoughts, reflections, and experiences on this research journey.