Create a mentorship program for coaches and leaders
As important it is for new players, it is also important for new leaders to be supported and guided in their development by an experienced person
The importance of mentorships
Leadership is a skill that can be taught. As opposed to hard skills (e.g. fitness training, speed, execution accuracy), which can be worked on alone, soft skills like leadership and communication can only be developed in group settings, as they require external feedback to measure progress.
A mentorship system for people to develop their leadership skills can also create structures to facilitate feedback between coaches.
Mentors of the same gender might be more sympathetic to the new leader's feelings and experiences because they have experienced something similar in the first person. Having someone mentoring with a different background (i.e. gender) can bring different perspectives and communication styles to the mentorship.
Regardless of gender, it is essential that mentors are aware of gender equity, communicate respectfully, know how to give feedback, and create a relationship of trust with the future leader.
Mentorships can develop your club
Communication, self-control, fair-mindedness, and taking responsibility for your own decisions are all core aspects of Ultimate and part of the first rule of the rule book: the Spirit of the Game (SOTG).
Spirit of the Game makes ultimate a perfect training platform to learn skills essential for good leadership and teamwork. Consequently, we can assume that many Ultimate players consciously or unconsciously have the prerequisite to be leaders and take on responsibilities, as they already abide by the SOTG ethos.
Similarly, a mentor system for new players can support the development of the players wanting to do more for the team. The mentor system is not necessarily limited to training activities; it can also be for administrative tasks like assisting in the communication within the club, registering the team for tournaments etc.