During the course, students will learn about mentoring schemes, developmental models, and techniques to guide the mentoring relationship. Students will learn ethical and professional standards for mentoring, frameworks for mentoring athletes with cultural or gender differences, and various communication and relationship management skills applicable to mentoring athletes.

Why are these courses important for the sporting profession?

The growing professionalisation of sport over the past twenty years has seen a marked increase in the level and sophistication of support provided to elite amateur and professional athletes. The type of support provided to elite athletes has largely focused on enhancing sporting performance, such as improved training and recovery practices. Current elite athletes also face many challenges and pressures that have not existed in the past. Some of these challenges include:

• Dealing with the associated pressure of significant media attention;
• Relying on sport as a source of income and livelihood;
• Coping with transitions including relocating clubs, selection and de-selection, and retirement; and
• Drug and alcohol abuse (performance enhancing or otherwise).

Consequently athlete welfare has emerged as a key element in elite sport. Specifically, increased attention on athlete welfare has resulted in an emphasis on supporting personal development and the attainment of greater sport-life balance. In response to these types of issues, ACAP has developed two courses to provide the fundamental mentoring skills and knowledge for graduates to work in athlete welfare and development roles.

Course Duration

1 term full-time (12 weeks) or part-time equivalent.

Further Study

Graduates will be provided with the pre-requisite knowledge and skills to apply for entry into ACAP’s Graduate Diploma of Elite Athlete Mentoring with credit. Students entering the Graduate Diploma after studying the Graduate Certificate will receive credit for units completed in the Graduate Certificate.