First find out what you are interested in or need help with? I entered the sport psychology world knowing nothing about sport psychology. My first experience with it was when my parents provided me with a plane ticket, hotel room, and conference tickets for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. I was very lucky in the fact that as a undergraduate junior I was able to attend a national conference with no fear of meeting new people. I've always been interested in how people got to where they were and I enjoy talking to people. One of my favorite mentors I met at that conference, standing in line to talk to a keynote speaker. That was over 4 years ago. We still talk almost weekly.
So first find out what you need mentorship for. Then find someone who knows what they are talking about in that vein. Next see if you can meet with that person to discuss what they do and how they got there. They might not be the right mentor for you. See if you have common ground or you think that they can help show you the way you want things to get done. You could be polar opposites and still make a great connection. Don't count someone out, they may just be too busy at the time. Taking on a mentee is a lot of commitment and they want to be able to have the time to commit to you.
Mentorship is a two way street. You have to be willing to commit to the relationship too.
1. That means answering calls and messages that they send you promptly and listening to their advice and guidance. But you have to remember that they are busy as well and they took the time to connect with you. Do them the courtesy of responding.
2. If they recommend a book/movie/author/article for you to read/watch...do it. They don't ask you to do things for shits and giggles. They want to help you.
3. Spend time learning about the field. If someone just did a study about cocaine use in rats and you found it really interesting, talk to your mentor about it. They may know the person responsible for the study or someone doing something like it, that you could connect with.
4. Let them introduce you to other people in the field. The world is about who you know. It opens a lot of doors for you, just by knowing the right people.
5. Be the best mentee possible and make sure that your expectations for the relationship are clear to your mentor. Don't be disappointed because you didn't speak up.
Take your mentorship relationship seriously. Be as committed to the relationship as your mentor is and take their advice to heart.
I am thankful every day that I met Mark Campbell at AASP in 2010. He is one of the most giving human beings on the planet and is truly committed to his work with our wounded, ill, and disabled veterans. I am so proud of his work and committment to the service people of our nation. The Invictus Games start tomorrow, of which he is a part. Please take the time to follow the Invictus Games and support our servicemen and servicewomen competing in the games. For more information about the Invictus Games please visit
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