What Makes A Soccer Coach A Good Mentor?

Director of Pelada Football Academy, Joey Garah, tells us a story about a coach who sat him on the bench. When he was in high school, he made an A-Level team, and for the first time, he was no longer playing with his friends and classmates, but instead, with some of the best players in the area. This was also the first time that Joey had ever consistently sat on the bench. When his coach finally approached him to explain why he was sitting on the bench, his response was, “Because you are not good enough”.

Joey goes on to explain how this interaction completely changed the course of his life and is now a driving force behind how he doesn’t want to coach for his academy. This coach did not give me any positive reinforcement or even tell him what he needed to work on. Instead, he just told him that he was not good enough, and walked away. This is one of the reasons many young players quit sports. Many players would have heard this and have completely given up on the game.

This, Joey explains, is the difference between a coach and a mentor. Joey now teaches all his coaches to treat players equally and to encourage players to want to get better. The dictionary defines a mentor and a coach slightly differently though. Here are their definitions.

Coach [ kohch ]

verb: (used with object) to give instruction or advice to in the capacity of a coach; instruct: “She has coached the present tennis champion.”

verb: (used without object) to act as a coach. to go by or in a coach.

mentor [ men-tawr, -ter ]

noun: a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. an influential senior sponsor or supporter.

verb: (used without object) to act as a mentor: “She spent years mentoring to junior employees.”

verb: (used with object) to act as a mentor to: “The brash young executive did not wish to be mentored by anyone.”

The key difference between the two is that a coach gives instruction or advice when it comes to the sport, whereas a mentor connects on a deeper level. A great coach can toe the line of both, and be a great support system for their players.

Watch the full video to see more.