Leadership was never meant to be navigated alone.
The GCWHSS Mentor Program connects women working in high school sports with one another — for conversation, perspective, and support that lasts beyond a single season. It is built on shared experience, not hierarchy.
Why mentorship matters
Women in high school sports often carry responsibility in settings where few colleagues share their experience. Mentorship changes that. It creates a relationship where questions can be asked openly, decisions can be thought through out loud, and no one has to figure it out by themselves.
Shared experience
Conversations with women who have faced the same situations, pressures, and decisions — and who do not need the context explained to them.
Growth and confidence
Space to test ideas, work through hard calls, and build the confidence that comes from being genuinely heard.
Connection and community
Relationships that extend past the program itself, across schools, districts, and state lines.
Stronger futures
Leadership strengthened through connection — for the women in the program now, and for the women who come after them.
How the Mentor Program works
The program is designed to create intentional, supportive connections between leaders in high school sports. It runs over nine months and follows four steps.
Apply
Share your experience, interests, leadership goals, and the areas where support would be valuable.
Match
Participants are thoughtfully paired based on leadership interests, professional goals, and shared experiences.
Connect
Mentors and mentees build the relationship through conversation, encouragement, and shared learning. Pairs decide together how often and how they connect. There is no required schedule.
Grow
The goal is not perfection. The goal is growth, support, confidence, and connection.
Mentorship is not about having all the answers. It is about not having to find them alone.
Who the program is for
The Mentor Program is open to women working in high school sports — athletic administrators, coaches, athletic trainers, activities directors, school and district administrators, and others whose work supports high school sports. There is no minimum number of years required to participate, as a mentor or as a mentee.
Mentoring here is not a fixed arrangement between a senior person and a junior one. Mentees do not need to be new to the profession, and mentors do not need a particular title. Women stepping into an unfamiliar role, taking on new responsibilities, or working through a difficult season often find the conversation as valuable as someone in her first year does.
Women who have retired from high school sports are warmly encouraged to serve as mentors. Their experience is one of the program’s greatest assets.
Participation is not limited to a single year. Women are welcome to take part again in future cohorts.
Cohort 2 · 2026–2027
60+ womenRegistration: Closed
More than 60 women are participating in the 2026–2027 Mentor Program cohort. Registration for this cohort is closed.
Information about the next cohort will be shared through GCWHSS when it becomes available.
Cohort 2 schedule
- Registration opened
- August 1, 2026
- Registration closed
- September 5, 2026
- Pairings announced
- September 26, 2026
- Opening connection opportunities
- September 27 and September 30, 2026
Cohort 2 Group Meeting Dates
Cohort 2 is underway, and applications for this cohort are no longer being accepted. Cohort 2 group meetings are scheduled for the following dates:
- Monday, October 26, 2026
- Group meeting · 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Monday, November 23, 2026
- Midpoint touchpoint · 6:00 p.m. CST
- Monday, February 22, 2027
- Midpoint touchpoint · 12:00 p.m. CST
- June 2027
- Celebration and conclusion · Date and time TBD
Membership is free. Joining is not a Mentor Program registration — it is how news about the next cohort will reach you.
Support for participants
Mentorship relationships are personal, and not every pairing will be the right fit. If something isn’t working, or if you simply have a question about the program, reach out to Dr. Patrice Elder at pelder@gcwhss.com. She is available to talk with you about it.
2026–2027 Mentor Program Sponsor
The 2026–2027 GCWHSS Mentor Program is supported by Digital Scoreboards.
No woman should have to navigate sports leadership alone.
The Mentor Program is one expression of what this community exists to do — connect, grow, and sustain leadership in educational athletics. Membership is where it begins.
CONNECT · GROW · SUSTAIN