The role of mentorship in the professional progression of elite youth cricketers in South Africa

Abstract

This paper investigates the athlete’s perspective of the role of mentorship in a cricketer’scareer progression, from elite youth to the senior arena. A qualitative study explored theunderstanding and experience of mentorship by the cricketers (n=15). The findings indicatedthat mentorship played an important role in the cricketers’ career development, irrespective ofwhether they progressed to the professional arena or not. The study provides a more nuancedunderstanding of mentorship in professional sports development and career progression fromthe athlete’s perspective. The unique context of diversity in sport and society in South Africafurther impacts the mentorship experience.