Tom Leeder
University of East Anglia
Tom is currently a 2nd year PhD student at the University of East Anglia, UK. His research explores the learning and development of sports coach mentors, working with the English Football Association (FA) on their formal FA Coach Mentor Programme. Tom's research interests broadly focus on mentoring, coach learning, and coach education within a sociological framework.
It has been suggested that learning to mentor is “somewhat developmental; it must be learned by engaging in it and needs to be constantly supported” (Gilles & Wilson, 2004, p.87). Despite increased scholarly work... [ view full abstract ]
It has been suggested that learning to mentor is “somewhat developmental; it must be learned by engaging in it and needs to be constantly supported” (Gilles & Wilson, 2004, p.87). Despite increased scholarly work investigating sports coach learning, little attention has been made to exploring the process of learning to become a coach mentor, with calls for research to explore the “individual, contextual, and cultural differences with respect to mentor coaches’ development” (Koh et al., 2017, p.529). This research attempts to answer these calls by exploring the learning experiences of mentors employed by the Football Association (FA) as part of their formal FA Coach Mentor programme.
A qualitative case-study design was adopted, involving eighteen semi-structured interviews with FA Coach Mentors, alongside field notes from direct observations of FA mentor training events. Moreover, a focus group with eight Regional Mentor Officers was conducted. Interview questions focused on mentor learning by examining the impact of training, support networks, and the role of learning from experience. Data were analysed thematically, with references made to relevant learning and the broader mentoring/sports coaching literature.
Initial findings indicate that learning to become a coach mentor is an idiosyncratic process. The mentors attributed different levels of value to the formal training they received from the FA; however the majority stressed the importance of attending to collaborate and learn from other mentors, despite the ‘content’ not significantly influencing learning. Additionally, mentors highlighted the importance of social networks and learning from experience, with an emphasis on reflection and ‘buddying up’. Workplace learning was considered to be vital by some mentors due to a perceived lack of guidance and support from the FA.
Findings demonstrate the importance of adopting a collaborative approach towards mentor learning and development. Based on mentors’ recommendations, tentative suggestions are made to enhance future mentor training.
