Hoops & Hustle E3 Mentors and Check-ins

Hoops & Hustle - Mentors & Check-Ins: Coach Emmett talks about his mentor and how it is important for coaches to mentor other coaches. He also talks on how mentor check-ins are very helpful. 

Transcript

0:00

Hello everyone and welcome to my podcast Hoops and Hustle, a coaching podcast. I'm Coach Emme. In this episode, we will be talking about mentors and check ins. Why is it important to have a mentor and why is it important to mentor others? Why check in? I will also tell you about a few of my mentors. Growing up, I had the luxury of being around some great coaches, some that now I reconnected with. Now mentorships are something that all coaches should have. And once you've proven your point as a coach, you should mentor other coaches. Being a mentor, you should not take light. You should always give that no matter the good or the bad. And you should always check in with the person that you are mentoring. Here are some keys to being a mentor. Active listening. Pay close attention to what your mentees say and don't say. Active listening helps you understand their needs, concerns, and goals. Empathy. Show understanding and compassion. Relate to their experiences and challenges. and provide support that's emotionally and partially relevant. Clear communication, be clear and direct in your communication. This includes providing constructive feedback, setting expectations, and articulating your own experiences and knowledge. Guidance and advice. Share your knowledge and experiences to help your mentees navigate their path. Offer practical advice and insight that can help them grow and succeed. Encouragement and support. Encourage your mentee, celebrate their successes, and support them through challenges. Help them build their confidence and motivation. Respect for autonomy. Allow your mentees to make their own mistakes and decisions and learn from them. Offer guidance without taking control of their choices. Goal setting. Help your mentee set realistic and achievable goals. Work with them to develop a plan. for reaching those goals and provide support as they work towards them. Patience. Recognize the growth and development. Take time. Be patient with your mentees. Progress in understanding that setbacks are part of the learning process. Openness to learning. Be open to learning from your mentee as well. A mentoring relationship is often reciprocal and you can gain valuable insights from their perspective and experiences. Commitment and consistency. Show dedication to your mentoring relationship. Be consistent in your meetings and interactions and follow through on your commitments. Adaptability. Be flexible in your approach. Tailor your mentoring style to fit your mentee's needs and adjust as they need involving over time. Ethical integrity. Maintain professionalism and ethical standards. Respect confidentiality and be honest in your interactions. These are some of the keys that can help you be a mentor to other coaches. Coaches, find your mentors. Mentors, check in on who you are mentoring. This is a true story about my mentor, Coach Paul. Coach Paul has a great reputation and has turned teams around. San Mateo High School in its previous year, before Paul took over, didn't do so well. Posting a four in 19 record in his first year in the 2023 2024 season. He led San Mateo High School into the CCS quarterfinals, posting a 23 4 record. When I took over at Jefferson High School, Paul quote unquote retired. He offered to come in and see what I was doing and to show me some of his plays that worked well the previous year. I was willing and open, and I didn't want to completely dump a whole new playbook on the girls. Since that day, Paul has been my mentor. He took me under his wing and always checked in on me and how I was doing in my first season at Jefferson with a combo of his playbook and mine. I led the Jefferson girls basketball team to the furthest they've ever gone in CCS school history. So, in the previous year before Paul took over, I'd have beaten San Mateo 83 to 34. Paul had to come out of retirement and take over the San Mateo program. We played the following year, and of course, like Steve Kerr and Greg Popovich, it was the Mentee vs the Mentor. He got the best of it, winning 43 32. Paul always is checking in on me, and I appreciate that. He's always questioning me and my decisions, good or bad, motivating me to do better, or just talking hoops, scouting, strategies, and such. Even though now, I am a college coach, he keeps it real. He is always, constantly motivating me to get better. Coaches, you need to find a mentor like that. Coaches, find that mentor. Coaches, be that fellow mentor to coaches. On the next episode of Hoops and Hustle, I will be talking hoops, coaching, and everything basketball with a special guest.