"I thought I had the answers to everything..."

Stu McMillan shares how mentoring from Dan Pfaff transformed his coaching career and filled critical gaps in his knowledge.

😮 "I thought I had the answers to everything..." - Stu McMillan Working with Coach Pfaff changed everything for Coach Stu. But it's not just Stu's career trajectory that he's impacted ... today Coach Pfaff actively mentors dozens of coaches working in many different sports, from all around the world. 🎓 Here's what Dan had to say about mentorship: "When I was younger, I knew I had glaring gaps in my coaching - I lacked skills, and hated the fact I was so unprepared to lead and coach effectively. I guess this is the first step in our educational journeys - understanding how little you know (ironically, it might also be the last step!). I was fortunate to have Coach Tellez and Victor Lopez give me mentorship opportunities, and they continued to monitor me throughout my career with timely criticisms and suggestions. This is a critical component to trades apprenticeships. I’m in the unique position now of mentoring coaches who are also mentoring other coaches They often ask me for my advice on this topic, which I can boil down into three points: 👉 The first rung of the mentorship process is simply to provide advice, support and “coaching” in a timely but systematic manner. 👉 Secondly, a good mentor should share “insider” information on how to advance in their roles, duties and career paths. Good mentors are connectors - making and supporting introductions to key stakeholders in the industry. Peer introductions and cultivation of relationships are a critical piece in the process. When possible, I think mentors should provide highly visible opportunities for the mentee in a variety of settings. 👉 Finally, I believe the mentor should serve as a constant advocate of promotion in arenas that the mentee can not always fight for themselves." --- 🤝 Tag a mentor in the comments below, and show them some love. #coaching #mentorship #development #teaching #mentor