"Mentoring: Beyond Talent - An Intervention to Support the Academy to First Team Transition in Professional Football"

Speaker
Paul Mansell, University of Staffordshire

24-09-2025 | 1:15 pm | Room Porto

Description
In his presentation Mentoring: Beyond Talent – An Intervention to Support the Academy to First Team Transition in Professional Football, Paul Mansell will introduce an innovative mentoring programme designed to facilitate the transition of young academy players into the professional game. Developed through collaboration between the University of Staffordshire and Universidade Católica, and with plans to expand to FC Porto Women, the intervention seeks to provide structured support at a crucial stage in athletes’ development. By combining academic insight with practical application, the project also strengthens international partnerships in the field of sports education and performance.

The intervention has already been piloted at a Category One football club in the UK, involving fourteen academy players and three recently retired professionals acting as mentors. Early findings suggest the programme has enhanced mentees’ readiness for progression, equipping them with stronger communication skills, resilience in the face of setbacks, and greater confidence to navigate the transition. Mechanisms such as trust, relatability, and the creation of a safe space emerged as central to its effectiveness. Mentors, too, reported valuable learning outcomes, highlighting the potential of the initiative to enrich high-performance environments.

Note: This Learning Coffee session will be conducted in English only.