Community-driven Mentorship
When you’re part of a leadership team running an all-volunteer community sports organization, you don’t always have the answers nor the training/development horsepower. A few years ago, we explored a simple idea: reaching out to local female-run businesses and women in leadership roles — not for sponsorship dollars, but for their wisdom. In our case, we ran an all-female softball association so we invited female business leaders to share their stories with our athletes and coaches. As an ice-breaker, we asked a powerful question: “How did community sport shape your own success?” Reaching out to diverse local business leaders is even better!
Many had never been asked to mentor within a sport setting. Others weren’t sure if their employers would support them stepping into that kind of community role. But almost universally, the desire for connection — for shared experience — was there.
And that’s exactly what you’re highlighting: mentorship is often just the structure. What people are really craving is community, relatability, and a place to say ‘I’m navigating that too.’
It makes me wonder how many more meaningful connections could flourish if workplaces actively encouraged their leaders to engage with local sport organizations as mentors — not just as professionals, but as people with lived experience to pass on.
What are your thoughts about a community mentorship discussion? These are the types of conversations that help strengthen the entire amateur sport ecosystem.
