The Center for Coaching and Mentoring
Coaching & Mentoring Opportunities
What is coaching vs. mentoring?
Coaching is designed to support another individual as the move from Point A to Point B and beyond. Coaching is a partnership between the coach and the coaching partner or coachee. In this way, coaching is meant to support the coachee as they navigate life’s challenges, celebrations, opportunities, and possibilities. A coach does not bestow wisdom or give advice; instead, the coach is trained to listen attentively and ask powerful, curious questions to facilitate self-discovery and explore the coachee’s own insights, perspectives, and solutions.
While mentoring is similar to coaching, its core difference is that mentors actively bestow wisdom and share advice to guide the mentee. The most effective mentors often use coaching skills – listening attentively, and asking powerful, curious questions – to understand the mentee’s needs first. They then seamlessly transition into their mentor role to offer their experience, perspectives, and guidance.
At the USNA, we recognize that all supports are valuable. We offer both coaching and mentoring services and training to midshipmen and employees, alongside other key supports such as counseling through the MDC, chaplain services, and SAPR, to name a few.
What is the history of coaching at the USNA and who are the coaches?
USNA has over 200 trained coaches and even more mentors. All coaches have 15-125+ hours of coach training and several coaches hold advanced coaching certifications through the International Coach Federation, Gallup, and other coaching organizations. Visit the Stockdale Center’s blog to learn more about the history of coaching on the Yard and who are the coaches.
What does the research say about coaching for college-aged students?
Over the last 15 years, the academic and industry research on coaching has become voluminous, consistently validating coaching’s effectiveness in areas like performance, leadership, and well-being. Visit the Stockdale Center’s blog to review key studies demonstrating the benefits of coaching for college students.
What coaching and mentoring resources exist for midshipmen and employees?
The USNA offers coaching and mentoring in two powerful ways:
- By providing both high-quality skill development to train midshipmen and employees to coach and mentor more effectively.
- By providing robust direct services connecting midshipmen and employees with trained coaches and experienced mentors.
Using this dual approach, midshipmen and employees can both learn these critical leadership skills and benefit from high quality coaching and mentoring.
How can I learn coaching skills?
Learning coaching skills is valuable for leaders, educators, sponsors, and anyone supporting others. At USNA, we offer tailored programs for different members of our community.
For Midshipmen – Midshipmen have several ways to build foundational and advanced coaching competencies:
- NL 286: Coaching for Leaders: Enroll in this dedicated course for an in-depth understanding of coaching principles and practices.
- Foundations of Coaching T-Period Training: Attend this focused training session for an introduction to essential coaching skills.
- Core Leadership Courses: Fundamental coaching skills are integrated into the following core curriculum courses:
- NL 110
- NL 330
For Faculty, Staff, and Athletic Coaches – The most comprehensive development path for USNA professionals is the cohort program:
- USNA Coaching Cohort Program: Enroll in this extensive program to develop advanced coaching skills. This is one of the best ways to master coaching for leaders, one-on-one coaching, teams and systems coaching, and personal/professional development.
For Parents and Sponsors – Learn how to support your midshipman with a coach-like approach:
- Video Replay – Show Up More Coachlike: Watch this session to learn practical strategies for engaging with your midshipman in a supportive, coachlike manner.
Follow the links to explore a list of offerings for midshipmen by class and for employees.
Descriptions and Contacts found here.