“I think sport teaches us so many of our great life skills such as teamwork, becoming leaders and overcoming adversity. And I think mentoring is inherent within sport,” says Jessica Battaglia.

The United States Tennis Association’s Senior Manager of Operations, Programming & Events has come onto the show to discuss the organisation’s Coach Mentoring Program, particularly in light of the fact that just 25% of tennis coaches in the US are female. The USTA and Jessica are seeking to redress the balance.

The discussion was supplemented by co-host Sarah Evans, the Leaders Performance Institute’s Senior Community & Account Executive. Sarah is a former Great Britain hockey international who benefited from female mentorship during her career and who now serves as a sports mentor herself.

The conversation covered:

• The importance of mentorship and support systems for women in sport [4:00];
• The distinction between mentoring and coaching [10:40];
• Efforts to turn the tide in providing opportunities for women in sport [19:40];
• The value of female perspectives in high performance environments [23:30].

Sarah Evans LinkedIn | Twitter

John Portch LinkedIn | Twitter