Women's International Squash Players' Association Introduces Mentoring
A mentoring initiative intended to smooth the early years for younger players on the women's world squash circuit has been introduced for the membership of the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA).
The scheme, which will be managed by England's world No8 Jenny Tranfield (a PhD in Sports Psychology), WISPA Executive Director Andrew Shelley and consultant Bob Morrison, will link a mentor (i.e. an experienced Tour player) with a newly-joined one (which WISPA is calling a mentee).
"The advantages for the mentee include advice, of course, but the benefits extend beyond this," explained Shelley. "The overall goal is greater enjoyment and overall an improved Tour experience for WISPA members."
The mentee benefits because she:
* Learns how the Tour works from a mentor who is experienced
* Has someone supportive to go to with questions or concerns
* Knows the mentor is available to help understand the early ups and downs of a Tour career
* Can help maximise performance and potential by seeking advice from the mentor
* Builds self-esteem and confidence by working with the mentor to get the most from her WISPA membership and participation
The mentor benefits because she:
* Has an opportunity to give back to the Tour and the sport
* Gets satisfaction from helping another WISPA member develop her potential
* Broadens her own interpersonal skills
* Builds self-confidence by realising she has valuable information and experience to share with the mentee
WISPA also benefits by:
* Helping ease the transition for new members, by improving their satisfaction and enjoyment, thus maintaining their involvement.
* Supporting new members in managing the rigours of their new life on the Tour
* Supporting the WISPA office by providing another more personal way to help communicate proper Tour expectations, behaviour, and rules to new members
* Encouraging a sense of importance, responsibility and sharing in more experienced members
* Building a sense of community and connection for members even though they are spread all around the world
Shelley added: "One fundamental point is that the mentor is not meant to be a "Coach" in the traditional sense, nor does she replace a mentee's own coach or training team. The mentor is a friendly, informal guide and peer counsellor.
"The scheme will be entirely voluntary and informal, beginning with a pilot this year with a view to bringing it on stream for the membership as a whole at the start of 2006 once the pilot testing has been reviewed and arrangements tweaked accordingly."
It is also intended to enlarge the scheme to provide help and support for players coming to the end of their Tour careers too, as WISPA feel that this will also be valuable to members.
For further information: Howard Harding
Tel: (44) 1737-243333 or (mobile) (44) 7773-325130 Fax: (44) 870-706 5253
WSQ 2780 Email: HowHard@aol.com
The scheme, which will be managed by England's world No8 Jenny Tranfield (a PhD in Sports Psychology), WISPA Executive Director Andrew Shelley and consultant Bob Morrison, will link a mentor (i.e. an experienced Tour player) with a newly-joined one (which WISPA is calling a mentee).
"The advantages for the mentee include advice, of course, but the benefits extend beyond this," explained Shelley. "The overall goal is greater enjoyment and overall an improved Tour experience for WISPA members."
The mentee benefits because she:
* Learns how the Tour works from a mentor who is experienced
* Has someone supportive to go to with questions or concerns
* Knows the mentor is available to help understand the early ups and downs of a Tour career
* Can help maximise performance and potential by seeking advice from the mentor
* Builds self-esteem and confidence by working with the mentor to get the most from her WISPA membership and participation
The mentor benefits because she:
* Has an opportunity to give back to the Tour and the sport
* Gets satisfaction from helping another WISPA member develop her potential
* Broadens her own interpersonal skills
* Builds self-confidence by realising she has valuable information and experience to share with the mentee
WISPA also benefits by:
* Helping ease the transition for new members, by improving their satisfaction and enjoyment, thus maintaining their involvement.
* Supporting new members in managing the rigours of their new life on the Tour
* Supporting the WISPA office by providing another more personal way to help communicate proper Tour expectations, behaviour, and rules to new members
* Encouraging a sense of importance, responsibility and sharing in more experienced members
* Building a sense of community and connection for members even though they are spread all around the world
Shelley added: "One fundamental point is that the mentor is not meant to be a "Coach" in the traditional sense, nor does she replace a mentee's own coach or training team. The mentor is a friendly, informal guide and peer counsellor.
"The scheme will be entirely voluntary and informal, beginning with a pilot this year with a view to bringing it on stream for the membership as a whole at the start of 2006 once the pilot testing has been reviewed and arrangements tweaked accordingly."
It is also intended to enlarge the scheme to provide help and support for players coming to the end of their Tour careers too, as WISPA feel that this will also be valuable to members.
For further information: Howard Harding
Tel: (44) 1737-243333 or (mobile) (44) 7773-325130 Fax: (44) 870-706 5253
WSQ 2780 Email: HowHard@aol.com