Young Athletes and Peer Mentoring

Sports and athletic activity provide a whole host of benefits for young people, including learning how to support one another in a team environment.  Young athletes may not realize it, but team sports provide them with an opportunity to become peer mentors to their teammates.

It can be as simple as an extra word of encouragement, a listening ear or staying a few minutes late to help someone practice free throws.  What may seem like small actions can have a big impact on a team's culture and a player's confidence in his friends and teammates.

Olympic snowboarder and gold medalist Chloe Kim recognized her teammate and mentor Kelly Clark with the Order of Ikkos Medal, which symbolizes excellence in coaching to another athlete.  Read more about this honor and the special relationship these two amazing athletes cultivated in their role as teammates and friends.