How Is Mentoring Like Coaching Little League?

After researching several articles on mentoring, Ray Nash, President of National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE), indicates in their most recent newsletter, “The more I read, the more I was convinced that coaching my son’s team and mentoring have a great deal in common.  Both demand demonstration, performance, consultation, and evaluation.”   In his article, he explains how demonstration is a way to show others what the best strategies are to get something done.  With baseball and mentoring, it is important to teach proper techniques.  He continues to explain that monitoring performance is the key to offer guidance.  With both baseball and mentoring, the key is to offer support to the individual which will minimize any frustration that they are encountering.  Consultation is the time for a one-on-one moment, and this is the time that most problems are solved.  Ray shares with us that evaluation is a way to offer feedback to someone which is an important way to help the person improve their outcomes whether it is to make changes during a game, or to steer a mentoree in the right direction.  He concludes his article by stating, “Some of my most valued life experiences have been in coaching and mentoring either my young ball players or younger agricultural teachers.  It is my hope that you will chose to make a difference in the life of someone who needs and values your expertise.  You might just discover, as I have, the one who often benefits most from the experience is you.”  As a parent of a Little League child, I can completely relate to his point of view.  The best Little League coaches are the ones that enlighten your child no matter what type of day that they have had on the field!  To read the full article from Ray Nash, please click here.  To learn more about how Management Mentors can help you create a new mentoring program, or to assist you to enhance an established program, please click here.