I guess I’m old enough now. Old enough. Wise enough. Experienced enough to mentor a young person. Though I have been coaching and mentoring nurses here in my role at Guardian Nurses for many years, I have been co-coaching a 9 year old girls’ basketball team for the last two years and it’s brought me utter joy.
The girls, most of whom are brand new to the game of basketball, make me laugh. They make me forget work, forget my presentation that’s not done, and help me to focus on them. Our goals are simple: 1) to learn a new skill; 2) to have fun; and 3) to make new friends.
Our record stands at 2-2 which, given our record last year, is an improvement! But what is more important to me is that the girls are learning about competition and teamwork and working toward a goal. Though I’m not sure we’ll win many more games, I am hopeful that they’ll continue to have fun. And walk away from this season with more confidence in themselves to make friends, to learn a new skill and to commit to a team activity. All good things!
Mentoring and coaching can be fun and it can be as rewarding to you as it can be to your young charges. Check your New Year’s resolutions again and if mentoring isn’t on it, give it some thought. A team of 9 year old girls might need your help playing basketball.