Onside Mentoring provides a facilitated approach to mentoring for game-changing female leaders aiming to make a difference in football.
Now in its second year, another eight mentees benefit from the support and advice from suitably matched, appropriately qualified and experienced mentors over six months. The mentees have high levels of achievement with aspirations to lead change in their particular area of interest, including coaching, refereeing, club management, state federation interest groups, player management and journalism.
The program is facilitated by Women Onside Director Heather Reid and involves five stages:
pre-program recruitment and selection,
matching process between mentees and mentors,
program launch, kick-off and formalising mentoring agreements,
delivery and regular contact, including ongoing review and
closing out and final evaluation.
Over the next few months, we will profile the mentees and their mentors - we're kicking off with Kate and Kim.
Kate is an NPL goal-keeper with a professional career in information technology. She aspires to join an executive board to support her passion for football once she finishes playing. She is keen to understand how to give back to and participate actively in the wider football community. Her strengths include relationship building, networking, positivity and presenting to groups.
Kate is matched with Kim, a former Matildas' goal-keeper, a current assistant national coach and a player mentor. She has had a long career in community services and working with people with disabilities. Kim is helping Kate develop her presence in the football community, particularly within the goal-keeping network, and navigate high-level discussions at Board and senior management levels.
Overall, Kim is working with Kate to assist her with understanding where best to align her strengths and where they can help her advance her passion for goal-keeping and broader interest in football leadership.
Six weeks into the mentoring program, this goal-keepers union is proving to be very successful. Kate and Kim have indicated how much they mutually benefit from the relationship. The mentoring has extended to Kate, assisting Kim with coaching the ParaMatildas goal-keepers (pictured).
