MENTORING

ing taking place is likely to be produced in the form of skill analy- sis, case studies, evidence-based practice reports, personal evalu- ations/reflections and/or service proposals.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MENTORING Mentoring associated with ‘professional practice in sport’ provides the practitioner with the opportunity to work with a mentor over an extended period. This type of mentoring is intended to facili- tate the practitioner’s professional development into a new field of responsibility. It may be appropriate for a practitioner who will be working with an elite sport for the first time or for a practitioner moving into a new sport. This is the format of mentoring that was used prior to the Paralympic games. ‘Professional development mentoring’ usually consists of some aspects of both of the above types of mentoring. In addition, it may also explore wider service provision, professional and interdisciplinary issues. Evidence of learning taking place will consist of a portfolio of items that reflect the range of the practitioner’s developmental needs.

IDENTIFYING LEARNING NEEDS Initially a practitioner should reflect on his/her strengths and weaknesses in relation to practice in sport. Reflection can be for a current situation or for an expected role. The focus should be on the personal need for development in order to become an effec- tive practitioner in this setting but may also consider what skills the athlete or sport requires.

When formulating learning needs it sometimes helps to consider the following: ■ The opportunities and threats of a situation/role ■ How weaknesses/threats might be overcome ■ How strengths/opportunities might be built upon ■ Ask others what they expect from you in your role ■ Are these expectations appropriate and how can you fulfil them?

■ Do you need to develop a specific skill? If so, how could you do this?

■ Lastly, do you already possess skills but need to modify them for use in this sport? Or do you need to understand more about someone else’s role within sport to optimise your own perfor- mance?

Once learning needs have been identified, consideration can then be given, in outline, as to how these might be demonstrated. Once this has been achieved it is the right time to identify and approach an appropriate mentor to help you finalise the list of learning outcomes and assist in putting together a plan to demonstrate learning.

SELECTING A MENTOR A mentor has been described as a wise and trusted counsellor. A good mentor will therefore have many attributes. He/she will have the necessary experience to be able to wisely advise his/her mentee, the skills to foster learning and the ability to build a trusting and supportive relationship. The focus of mentoring is to maximise the professional’s learning and to encourage exploration of ideas while facilitating understanding of the context of prac- tice within sport. The mentor has a non-judgemental role but should be able to give constructive criticism without destroying confidence.

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A good mentor could be: ■ Someone who is experienced in sport (but who may not neces- sarily be an expert in your own sport)

■ A colleague from your own or another profession ■ Someone with teaching or managerial experience (although your mentor should never be your line manager) ■ A colleague whose opinion you trust.

THE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP Mentoring can be formal or informal and may need to be funded just as a study day would be or may be generously offered at no cost. The mentor and the practitioner do need to invest time into their relationship, as regular contact is required for the process to be successful. Whichever route is chosen it is important to out- line the expectations of both parties at the beginning.

In a formal funded arrangement, such as the BPA/UK Sport system described in this article, the mentor draws up an agreed learning contract following detailed discussion with the practitioner. This states the expected learning outcomes that will be addressed by undertaking the mentoring and also lists measurable and achiev- able learning objectives that demonstrate the above. A time limit for completion is also agreed and set. Contact arrangement guide- lines are proposed and acknowledged. Clear parameters for learn- ing are also thoroughly established at the beginning of the programme.

In an informal arrangement the learning outcomes are likely to be broader and specific learning objectives may not always be set. The timescale for mentoring may be short or protracted or even open- ended. Guidelines for contact and expectations of each other should still be discussed and it is helpful to summarise responsi- bilities so that both parties are clear about their commitments.

Informal mentoring is usually arranged by a practitioner approaching someone they consider could be an appropriate men- tor. An agreement is reached and the process begins. Some organ- isations, notably the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine (ACPSM), are developing a network for mentoring (chartered physiotherapists only) through their structured profes- sional development pathways. In this scheme, novice practition- ers in sport are linked with more experienced sports physiothera- pists. Some sports governing bodies also provide similar networks for those practitioners working with them.

In the past, UK Sport has funded formal mentoring of three to 12 months duration but this has been directed at sports medicine practitioners who are already appointed to work with a lottery performance-funded sport. It is, however, quite likely that fund-

BOX 1. EXAMPLES OF LEARNING NEEDS

■ To understand the sport of archery ■ To adapt/develop my current skills for work with a particu- lar sport/client group

■ To work effectively as a part of a sport’s support team ■ To understand the role of the sports psychologist ■ To learn about specific techniques eg. stretching/flexibility for athletes with spasticity.

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