Preparing elite athletes for the career after the career: the functions of mentoring programmes

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify important functions of a mentoring programme in Germany targeted at elite athletes and how they facilitate the transition phase from sporting career to professional career. We adapted the Mentor Role Instrument by Ragins and McFarlin to sport. The newly created scale was assessed by means of principal component analysis (PCA) and validated with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with data collected from n = 80 (for the PCA) and n = 197 (for the CFA) elite athletes taking part in a mentoring programme. The results reveal that mentors fulfil the functions of a benefactor, counsellor, supportive friend, role model and accepting partner. The overall functions of the mentoring relationship had a significant positive impact on satisfaction with the support in transitioning into a professional career. A key implication is that mentoring is a well-received instrument in supporting athletes with the transition phase.

Keywords:

• Dual career
• elite sports
• mentees
• mentors
• sporting career
• athletic retirement

Notes

1. The German Sport Aid Foundation is a private foundation which supports elite athletes financially and non-financially (ie access to seminars and dual career support such as the initiative ‘Sprungbrett Zukunft’ which offers opportunities for athletes to get more information on the professional life via sponsored applications (athletes can apply for jobs at partners of the foundation), short-term internships in organizations and a mentoring programme). The German Sport Aid Foundation is primarily funded through sponsorships of private companies such as Lufthansa, Deutsche Bank, Telekom or Deutsche Post.

The mentoring programme matches athletes with business professionals which act as mentors. Mentors support their mentees through insights into the professional world, provide internships, support in writing applications and extending the professional network of the mentee. Mentors and mentees meet either personally, online or via telephone communication. The support of the mentors for the mentees is manifold and does not only focus on emotional support but can also include securing employment; this differs for each mentor–mentee relationships and the specific needs of the mentee and the opportunities the mentor can facilitate.

2. We also collected data for mentors, using a similar questionnaire. However, the response rates were much lower than for the mentees and therefore we focus in this paper on mentees only.

3 The A-squad includes athletes performing at an international elite level. Athletes in the B-squad show the perspective to reach the A-squad in a set time. C-squad and D/C-squad athletes are junior athletes performing at a national, respectively regional level. The S-squad has been introduced to serve as an umbrella for athletes who are temporarily unable to compete due to injuries or job-related reasons. The category ‘Other’ in Figure 1 implies that the athletes have already terminated their sporting career.