Mentor - Connecting

Get to Know Your Mentee as Both a Person and an Athlete, The Holistic Approach

• Ask questions about the mentee’s interests outside of sport and experiences within sport
• Reflection is important. What has the mentee managed to achieve since you last spoke, what actions have been put in place, lessons that have been learned during the process and what goals have they possibly reached.
• Be an active listener! Active listening involves avoiding interrupting, show interest in body language. Use the DA Active listening resources as a guide

The First Conversation

Here are some recommendations for the very first conversation with your mentee to assist you to build a strong foundation for your mentor relationship:

• Share your feelings about the mentoring experience and how excited you are to be the athletes mentor. Break down the barriers by sharing any nerves you may have, but reassure your athlete that this is going to be a fantastic opportunity for you both!
• Get to know your mentee. Ask questions about the athlete’s background, what they love about diving, who their coach is and any other diving related questions.
• Start with a few basic questions to prompt the conversation.
• “What made you sign up for the mentoring program?”
• “Do you have any specific questions right now?”
• “Is there anything I can help you with at the moment?”
• Set one or two goals and ask your mentee what their expectations are for the mentoring experience. Having these goals and expectations from the outset will provide the mentoring relationship with direction and will give you insight into how you can best support your mentee. When moving towards the goal setting conversation feel free to use the Diving Australia SMART+ Goal infographic and template.
• It is important to reflect on goals!  Remember to check in with your mentee and ask the mentee if their goals and priorities have shifted in your next session together!

Share Your Journey

It can be useful to share your story with an athlete so be sure to tell your mentee about yourself and your sporting and personal goals and journey, mistakes and challenges included. Be careful not to overtake the conversation with your story, remember ACTIVE LISTENING (please see Diving Australia’s Active Listening infographic for more information).

Share your learnings during your journey through sport and any challenges you may have overcome.

Do not try to solve a problem for an athlete. Instead offer a different perspective and helpful suggestions. Encourage the athlete talk through what they might be thinking and allow them to talk you through their ideas.