An exploration of the peer group mentoring experiences of university female basketball athletes

ABSTRACT

Peer group mentoring is a dynamic, relational learning experience. In this paper, the authors explore the lived experiences of seven peer group mentoring participants – representing three different peer mentoring groups. All seven participants were NCAA Division III female basketball athletes on the same team at the same institution in a northeast urban environment. Qualitative interviewing captured detailed descriptions and thematic analysis was utilized to investigate the narrative data from in-person interviews. Findings suggest that this peer group mentoring experience (a) provided important support and encouragement, (b) cultivated synergistic relationships, and (c) established a vital space for dialogue.

KEYWORDS:

• Peer group mentoring
• support
• synergetic relationships
• dialogue
• university athletes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jonathan Kroll

Jonathan Kroll is a Lecturer at the University of Rhode Island and the Executive Director / Lead Trainer with the Leadership Trainer Certification Program (www.LeadershipTrainer.org). Jonathan has earned a PhD from Fielding Graduate University in Leadership with a focus in Group Mentoring. He consults, writes, and teaches about leadership and mentoring.

Stacy Blake-Beard

Stacy Blake-Beard is Professor of Management at Simmons College’s School of Management. She is also Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Gender in Organizations at Simmons. Prior to joining Simmons, Dr. Blake-Beard was faculty at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.  Dr. Blake-Beard holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a MA and a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan. Dr. Blake-Beard’s research focuses on the challenges and opportunities offered by mentoring relationships, with a focus on how these relationships may be changing as a result of increasing workforce diversity; has published a book on this topic (Mentoring Diverse Leaders: Changing People, Processes and Paradigms).  She has received a Fulbright Award to support her project, entitled “Systems of Sustenance and Support: Exploring the Impact of Mentoring on the Career Experiences of Indian Women,” in partnership with the Center for Leadership, Innovation and Change at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, India

Kathleen McMillian-Roberts

Kathleen McMillian-Roberts is a Fellow of Fielding Graduate University Institute for Social Innovation and currently serves as an Organization Development Consultant for a government agency.