“I am a better player, thanks to him” - “You are laughing on the outside, but inside, it hurts you so badly:” The double-edged sword of mentoring in sport

“I am a better player, thanks to him” - “You are laughing on the outside, but inside, it hurts you so badly:” The double-edged sword of mentoring in sport | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article “I am a better player, thanks to him” - “You are laughing on the outside, but inside, it hurts you so badly:” The double-edged sword of mentoring in sport Mary Mulenga-Wincierz, Elfriede Derrer-Merk This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7837315/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This article tells the story of a young, ambitious footballer named Bupe, who is in a mentorship with his coach in Zambia. A semi-structured in-depth interview aided in exploring the mentee´s experiences. This study employs narrative and grounded theory approaches to highlight both the benefits and the harmful experiences associated with football coaching. Findings reveal that Bupe substantially benefited from the relationship but also experienced a breach of confidentiality, and teammate´s perpetual bullying instigated by the mentor, potentially leading to emotional and psychological harm. The mentor violated Bupe`s trust, creating a challenging atmosphere. This study illustrates that cultural values hindered Bupe from addressing this experience, leading to recommendations for mentoring best practices to prevent harm and foster positive relationships. Humanities/Cultural and media studies Social science/Cultural and media studies Social science/Education Biological sciences/Psychology Social science/Psychology Humanities/Religion Mentoring Confidentiality Team bullying Mental health Football Africa Introduction Youth mentoring relationships (YMR/s) are crucial to the development and well-being of young people worldwide. This inquiry builds upon findings from a [description of study]. Youth mentoring is a social, nonprofessional relationship between a more knowledgeable and experienced non-parental adult and an inexperienced and less knowledgeable young person (Schwartz and Rhodes, 2016 ; Spencer, 2006 ). The relationship is personal and founded on mutual trust, aiming to provide support and guide the young person's positive development (Busse et al., 2018 ; Spencer, 2006 ). Contextually, mentoring informed by Western values is perceived as an educational social relationship based on openness, friendship, and interaction (Hu et al., 2022 ), notwithstanding the inherent power imbalance characteristics of such relationships. Whereas these values may be more challenging in conservative societies, such as Zambia (Goldner and Scharf, 2013 ; Hu et al., 2022 ). For instance, in Zambia, adults are generally viewed as persons with superior authority over younger people. By virtue, young people are expected to accord adults respect, whereas the same may not be expected in return from them. In most instances, this situation may lead to power struggles between adults and youths in mentoring relationships, not only in Zambia but in other traditionalist societies too (Hu et al., 2022 ). Subsequently, researchers globally assert that respect should be mutual in a mentoring relationship to avoid misunderstandings and conflict, leading to dissatisfaction and adverse mentoring outcomes and, in some cases, harm, which are primarily to the detriment of the mentee (Albright et al., 2017 ; Eby et al., 2000; Geber and Keane, 2016 ; Department of Victorian Communities, 2006 ; Nottingham et al., 2017 ). There are two primary forms of youth mentoring: formal and informal, also referred to as natural or organic. Formal mentoring is planned and time-specific. It occurs within a programme, wherein programme staff match non-parental adult mentors to youths and specific goals are defined (Brady and Dolan, 2007; Schwartz and Rhodes, 2016 ). Matched mentors come from communities. Before mentoring, they are screened, for example, for good conduct, trained in mentoring skills, and continuously monitored to promote quality, ultimately leading to effective mentoring (Evans, 2005; Garringer et al., 2017). Some characteristics of effective mentorships include setting clear goals and expectations, open communication, impartiality, honesty, mutual respect, empathy, and respecting boundaries (Braun and von Oertzen, 2021 ; Ekron et al., 2023 ; Nottingham et al., 2017 ; Rhodes et al., 2009 ; Rhodes and Lowe, 2008 ). However, formal mentoring is critiqued for being time-bound, which may fall short of desired mentoring outcomes (DuBois et al., 2011 ; Rhodes and Lowe, 2008 ; Hurd et al., 2014 ). In informal mentoring, on the other hand, no screening, training, or monitoring of mentors is done, and no matching is involved. Relationships between non-parental adults, such as community members, grandparents, teachers, coaches, extended family members, and young people start naturally (Hurd et al., 2014 ; Hurd and Zimmerman, 2014 ; Author, 2024). Since it is organic, the relationships are not time-specific and may last longer than formal relationships. Not being time-bound may yield substantial benefits compared to formal mentoring (Hurd et al., 2014 ; Hurd and Zimmerman, 2014 ; Schwartz and Rhodes, 2016 ). However, critiques of informal mentoring argue that there is too much dependence on the mentor´s compassion and generosity (Kadzomba, 2015), which may lead to the mentor experiencing mental stress and burnout (Lakind et al., 2015; Author, 2024). Overall, effective formal and informal mentoring should be informed by best practices, including building a strong mentor-mentee bond, mutual understanding and respect, equal communication, observing boundaries, having a benevolent mentor attitude and patience, and time investment, despite context (Geber and Keane, 2016 ; Miskic, 2023 ; Nottingham et al., 2017 ; Rhodes et al., 2009 ). Notwithstanding personal and environmental factors, the absence of best practices can negatively influence mentoring processes and lead to harm in the relationships. The actors involved in mentoring, especially the mentors, are expected to apply best practices to strive for effective mentoring processes, positive relationships, and successful outcomes for their mentees. Against this background, there is a limited understanding of how young aspiring footballers in Zambia experience and perceive mentoring relationships with their coaches. Addressing this gap can provide valuable insights into the contextual factors that shape athlete-coach interactions and inform targeted coaching practices to support youth development in Zambian football. The researchers utilise narrative methods alongside constructivist grounded theory to explore and understand the experiences of a young football mentee named Bupe. Mentor responsibilities Being a mentor to a young person comes with a huge responsibility. Here, we briefly highlight a few key responsibilities. Mentoring relationships involving the more knowledgeable and experienced mentor and the less knowledgeable and experienced mentee, where the latter stands to gain more from the relationship than the former, create an inherent imbalance in the interactions between the two. Additionally, the age difference between the mentor and mentee means that power dynamics inevitably characterise the relationship. Therefore, Garvey et al. ( 2014 ) assert that a mentor is responsible for understanding how their position of power can influence interactions and the magnitude of their impact on the mentoring process and outcomes, ultimately affecting the mentee. Consequently, mentors are expected to be honest, have empathy and be friendly, respect mentees, foster trust by adhering to confidentiality, build strong bonds, and strive to promote positive mentoring experiences from their side (Braun and von Oertzen, 2021 ; Ekron et al., 2023 ; Nottingham et al., 2017 ; Rhodes and Lowe, 2008 ). Furthermore, according to attachment theory (Rhodes et al., 2006 ), mentors can also serve as alternative caregivers, especially for youths who have experienced broken relationships with their primary caregivers (DuBois et al., 2011 ; Hagler et al., 2020 ; Rhodes et al., 2006 ). In attachment theory, a child's early separation from their caregiver influences how that child regulates emotions, values themselves (self-worth), and handles future relationships, mostly leading to insecure attachment styles (Bretherton, 1992 ). The caregiver is crucial to shaping the young person´s short- and long-term development, as they provide the child's overall needs, including safety and security, protection, education, and emotional and psychological support. Rhodes et al. ( 2006 , p. 695) state that mentors, as secondary caregivers, can relieve “relationship tensions and conflicts” and “stress” that arise during adolescence and young people's experiences. Mentors, therefore, are in a critical position to help youth, especially the disadvantaged, navigate socioemotional and mental stress, such as that resulting from poverty (DeWit et al., 2016 ; Hurd and Zimmermann, 2010; Lyman, 2016 ; Sapiro and Ward, 2020 ; Author, 2024). Thus, the ultimate goal of a mentor is to create a conducive atmosphere in which the mentee feels protected, safe, encouraged, motivated, and confident about developing and enhancing their cognitive and socioemotional skills and competencies (DuBois et al., 2011 ; Ekron et al., 2023 ; Spencer, 2012 ). Moreover, observing healthy boundaries and keeping mentees' personal information confidential is expected of mentors to protect mentees from harm. Rhodes et al. ( 2009 ) equate the level of confidentiality that mentors should have to that exercised by professional helpers such as those in therapist-client relationships. Upholding confidentiality in mentoring relationships fosters open communication between the mentor and mentee, which can help mitigate differences and misunderstandings and prevent emotional and psychological harm (Rhodes, 2020 ; Rhodes et al., 2009 ). Furthermore, mentors must refrain from making careless and improper comments about mentees to develop and maintain healthy relationships (Eby et al., 2000; Albright et al., 2017 ). To this end, mentors should uphold the key responsibilities mentioned above to ensure effective mentoring and a positive experience for mentees, regardless of the context. Mentors are responsible for supporting and guiding the mentee and doing no harm. In their 2009 article, “First Do No Harm: Ethical Principles for Youth Mentoring Relationships”, Rhodes et al., trying to establish mentoring ethics, propose ethical principles that mentors should follow to minimise the potential of causing harm to the young person under their care. Rhodes et al. ( 2009 ) state that they base their suggested principles on 1) the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association of 2002 primarily and 2) the ethical agreements that guide other paraprofessionals, volunteers and youth workers in American, British and Australian communities and on the best practices based on empirical findings and practice. Subsequently, they propose and discuss the youth mentoring ethical principles as listed below: A: Promote the Welfare and Safety of the Young Person (Beneficence and Nonmaleficence) B: Be Trustworthy and Responsible (Fidelity and Responsibility) C: Act With Integrity (Integrity) D: Promote Justice for Young People (Justice) E: Respect the Young Person’s Rights and Dignity (Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity) (Rhodes et al., 2009 , pp. 453–456). These ethical principles are self-explanatory, and mentors are responsible for upholding them. Mentor's characteristics, culture and power impacts As discussed above, mentoring has great potential to support youth in their personal and career development. However, like any other relationship, YMRs are not void of negative experiences and harm. Emotional and psychological harm, among others, may happen to both mentors and mentees, but mostly unintentionally (Rhodes et al., 2009 ). Research has shown that when mentors have limited skills, sound judgement and limited experience and knowledge of working with marginalised youth, despite themselves coming from a disadvantaged background, they may find it challenging to manage their relationships, leading them to deploy inappropriate approaches and practices, such as manipulative behaviour and power misuse (Albright et al., 2017 ; Integrative Life Center, 2021 ; Rhodes et al., 2009 ), which may lead to harm on the part of the mentee. Furthermore, Rhodes et al. ( 2009 , p. 454) suggest that harm towards mentees may result from mentors' limited skills, knowledge, experience, or prudence, leading to “the misuse of power (e.g., exploitation, heavy-handed persuasion) and inappropriate boundaries (e.g., breaching confidentiality, improper disclosures).” Similarly, Albright et al. ( 2017 , p. 10) discovered that mentors' lack of understanding of power, privileges and oppression can cause psychological harm to mentees as they use “misguided or inappropriate” approaches and practices. Negative mentoring experiences (NME/s) and harm can also happen when mentors lack insight into power dynamics and how their privileged position can easily result in manipulative and exploitative behaviour. Manipulative and exploitative behaviours in mentoring, including in the workplace or youth-adult settings, may include intimidation, controlling and guilt-tripping; all this may be done to induce a mentee to do something so that a mentor reaches a desired goal (Eby et al., 2000). The potential for mentors to behave and act unbecomingly is unavoidable due to the inherent power imbalance (Albright et al., 2017 ; Rhodes et al., 2009 ). Thus, mentors' oppressive tendencies due to misuse of power are one of the contributing factors to mentees´ NMEs, leading to harm. Rhodes et al. ( 2009 , p. 454) list two examples of mentors´ actions, i.e., “breaching confidentiality and improper disclosures that may result from a mentor´s inappropriate boundaries” and a casual attitude, leading to a mentee´s NMEs and harm. Murray ( 2008 ), in her report “When a Mentor Does More Harm than Good”, reveals how a 15-year-old's mentoring relationship prematurely ended because his mentor, whom he had confided in, released private information about him to his colleague. This left the mentee feeling angrier than he was purported to have been before getting into the relationship, which was supposed to help him manage his ‘anger’ behaviour. While the scenario depicted here is within formal mentoring, some researchers, especially in the USA, have highlighted that many mentoring programmes try to prevent harm to mentees by conducting preliminary screenings of prospective mentors and training them on the Dos and Don´ts (Albright et al., 2017 ; Rhodes et al., 2009 ). On the other hand, in the case of natural mentoring, doing background checks and vetting aspiring mentors for suitability and training in mentor skills is impossible, which puts mentees in such relationships at high risk of the mentor´s potentially harmful behaviour (Albright et al., 2017 ; Rhodes et al., 2009 ). Mentoring relationships cannot be separated from the cultural context in which they occur. Thus, cultural values and social norms significantly influence the quality and outcomes of the mentoring process (Goldner and Scharf, 2013 ; Rana, 2018). From a Global North perspective, mentoring values equality in communication and emphasises friendship (Department of Victorian Communities, 2006 ). In the Global South, particularly in patriarchal settings such as Africa, where Zambia is located, mentoring may be influenced by a culture that positions adults as superior to younger people (Geber and Keane, 2016 ; Wagstaff and Parker, 2020 ). In this case, a mentor may play a dominant role. As such, a mentee may not speak up about specific issues, particularly those emanating from the mentor´s behaviour and actions. This often leads to a deepened power imbalance in the relationships, as mentors and mentees are inclined and mainly adhere to cultural values and norms, such as respecting the mentor's naturally normalised authority. As a result, power-imbalanced interactions can trigger a cascade of adverse effects on the mentee, especially if they prioritise open communication and equality over normalised superiority. The effects may include constant misunderstandings and persistent conflicts leading to continuous NMEs (Author, 2024; Author, 2025; Nottingham et al., 2017 ). Bullying and its consequences Bullying is a worldwide problem that occurs in different social settings. Although there is no universal definition of bullying. Researchers primarily describe bullying as the regular misuse of power, where a more powerful person or group of people repetitively intimidates a less powerful, weaker individual (Inesia-Forde, 2024 ; Swigonski et al., 2024). The literature demonstrates that bullying behaviour includes, among other behaviours, demeaning others, ridiculing, shaming, physical violence, name-calling and rumour-mongering (Inesia-Forde, 2024 ; Swigonski et al., 2014 ). Inesia-Forde ( 2024 ) further explains that these bullying behaviours are intended to dehumanise the victim by making them feel guilt, shame and less of themselves. These emotions can have devastating, lasting consequences for the victim, as they may experience feelings of injustice, resentment, aggression, low self-esteem, demoralisation, helplessness, and hopelessness, or all of these combined (Inesia-Forde, 2024 ; Ríos et al., 2022 ). DiYanni ( 2023 , para. 3) adds to the effects: “bad temper, nervousness, feeling low... feeling left out, loneliness, and helplessness.” Inesia-Forde ( 2024 , p. 64) asserts that these negative feelings affect the emotional and psychological well-being of a person, leading to them to struggle with “anxiety, suicidal behaviour, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, fear of ramifications or increased bullying, hopelessness, loss of career opportunities, decreased confidence...”, or if the victimised person is within a programme, “abandoning the program.” According to Swigonski et al. ( 2014 , p. e273), “Bullying can impair social and emotional development and cause substantial harm to mental health.” In the context of sports, where the coach is often perceived as a bully, Swigonski et al. report that the stress athletes experience due to competition exacerbates the harmful consequences of bullying. According to DiYanni (para. 4), bullying in a team perpetrated by teammates may lead to the victim's decreased sports satisfaction, feeling isolated, and experiencing “low self-esteem, sadness, embarrassment and fear.” The adverse effects extend to the team as trust and a strong team bond might become fragile, affecting positive interactions and performance. Furthermore, in a study titled “‘I Gave Up Football, and I Had No Intention of Ever Going Back’: Retrospective Experiences of Victims of Bullying in Youth Sport,” Ríos et al. ( 2022 ) found that young people in team sports such as football and who experienced bullying initiated and perpetuated by their teammates were prone to feelings of helplessness because of being unable to put an end to the persistent experiences of bullying. Bullying in football has the potential to cause emotional and psychological harm, leading to disruption of the victims´ positive development and ending their participation in the sport´s practice (Inesia-Forde, 2024 ; Ríos et al., 2022 ). Mentoring Through Football Mentoring is a flexible social intervention strategy widely applied in different contexts. It has the potential to influence young people´s various areas of development, including academic, socio-emotional, behavioural, psychological and youth athletic development (Busse et al., 2018 ; Ekron et al., 2023 ; Hurd and Zimmerman, 2014 ; Author, 2024; Pitney and Ehlers, 2004 ; Schwartz and Rhodes, 2016 ; Wagstaff and Parker, 2020 ). Meanwhile, football is perceived as central to socialisation and unification in society and as a means out of poverty for many disadvantaged youths (Abderrahmane, 2022 ; Esson, 2015 ; Morgan et al., 2021 ; Mwila, 2024 ; Wagstaff and Parker, 2020 ). Like many other sports, football can also be used as a preventive, corrective and rehabilitative intervention strategy to improve physical health and address problem behaviours, including crime, violence, substance abuse, and other anti-social behaviours (Local Government Association, 2024 ). Ferdinand and Kiu Publication Extension (2024) report that, among other benefits, such as physical health and fitness, sport also contributes to youth´s positive mental health outcomes, as it aids in relieving stress and fostering relaxation, as well as helps in building trusting relationships and camaraderie, and increases the sense of belonging (Diyanni, 2023 ). Bloom et al. ( 1998 ) further explain that in sports, coaches go beyond their typical roles of coaching, such as instructing athletes on how to be technically proficient or accurately pass the ball or be an agile player, to taking on a more personal and mentoring role. Mentoring in sports, including football, contributes to athletes' career and personal development by facilitating the anticipatory socialisation process and eventually adhering to team norms and values (Bloom et al., 1998 ; Pitney and Ehlers, 2004 ). Therefore, both mentoring and football are crucial aspects of the overall development of a disadvantaged young person. Hence, youths´ participation in developmental football is important to their development. However, as DiYanni ( 2023 ) has noted, a positive and bias-free team environment is equally crucial. Young people comprise the majority of the Zambian population, and many face significant disadvantages. According to Samuel Hall ( 2019 ), many young people experience significant challenges, including limited access to quality education and training, high unemployment rates, inadequate sexual and reproductive health services, political exploitation, violence and increased poverty. To address these challenges, promoting youth inclusion and equity is crucial to fostering their participation in mainstream social, economic and political systems. Empowering youth enables them to engage in education, training and economic activities and contribute to community life. For instance, mentoring and football have been identified as strategic interventions for youth empowerment, which can lead to positive youth development (Morgan et al., 2021 ; Wagstaff and Parker, 2020 ). Refer to "Mentoring Through Athletics" (2024) to gain a deeper understanding of how mentoring and sports, including football, empower youths and prepare them for success in various areas of life. This empowerment is key in mitigating unhealthy behaviours such as substance abuse, prostitution, child marriages, gang violence, and crime, all of which can perpetuate poverty, mental health issues, social unrest and instability (Population Council and UNFPA, 2018 ). When adequately empowered, young people become agents of their own development, achieving active citizenship and contributing to sustainable development. Ultimately, this holistic approach benefits individuals and makes a positive contribution to society. Current study This study is critical because it explores the nuanced experiences of one individual navigating youth sports mentoring in Zambia—a context in which studies on youth mentoring and sports mentoring are limited or non-existent. We employ a narrative approach combined with constructivist grounded theory to uncover the mentee´s experiences and, therefore, how he benefited from the relationship and experienced bullying initiated by his mentor and perpetuated by his teammates, potentially leading to emotional and psychological harm. To capture the experiences of Bupe, a Zambian emerging adult, we focus on the following research question: “ How does a young person aspiring for a professional football career experience mentoring with his coach in Zambia? ” The research methodology, design, and methods applied to this study are described below. Methodology This article draws on the first author's broader exploratory constructivist grounded theory (CGT) PhD study, which examines [description of study]. The study was informed by constructivist ontology and interpretivist epistemology (Charmaz, 2014 ). Researcher´s perspective and positionality The study emphasises the authors´ positionality and reflexivity (Charmaz, 2014 ; Cope, 2014 ; Holmes, 2020 ). Adopting an interpretive approach, the authors acknowledged their role as partners in the research process (Cope, 2014 ; Holmes, 2020 ). They exercised reflexivity and remained conscious of the potential biases they might bring to the study (Charmaz, 2014 ; Creswell and Miller, 2000 ; Nagel et al., 2015 ). Thus, the authors´ positionality is that reality is multiple and contextual, and people attribute a subjective meaning to it (Charmaz, 2008 ). Further, the authors applied prior knowledge and experiences as sensitising concepts during data analysis and reporting findings (Blumer, 1954 ; Charmaz, 2014 ). Therefore, they did not prescribe what to look for in the data. Methods Based on the study's philosophical underpinnings, the research's primary methodology was constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006 , 2014 ), which is a flexible approach. This methodology is appropriate when there is limited research to understand a phenomenon in a particular area. Thus, it aids in systematically providing insight into a phenomenon (Inesia-Forde, 2025 ). As an exploratory and CGT study, data were collected using a semi-structured interview schedule consisting of open-ended narrative-generating questions (Charmaz, 2014 ; Wimpenny and Gass, 2000 ). In grounded theory, narrative-generating questions enable the collection of detailed, subjective, and contextual accounts from participants (Wimpenny and Gass, 2000 ). Purposeful and theoretical sampling methods of grounded theory were applied to select participants (Charmaz, 2014 ; Morse, 2007 ). The first author sought mentors and mentees with first-hand experiences of the youth mentoring phenomenon in Zambia, which were fit for the analysis and development of the study (Morse, 2007 ). To that end, this research highlights the mentoring experiences and perceptions of one of the mentees, Bupe, in the broader study. To tell a grounded theory-generated story of Bupe´s mixed experiences of benefits and bullying leading to potential harm in his relationship, we applied constant comparative analysis (identifying similarities and differences, variation finding) (Inesia-Forde, 2025 ) combined with narrative analysis methods (Efe, 2023 ; Mishra, 2024 ; Saldana, 2013). There is an overlap between these two methods. Thus, it was suitable to apply narrative analysis as it also uses interpretive, inductive and deductive reasoning for data analysis and allows the researcher to explore the single personal experience(s) across time (Dovetail Editorial Team, 2023 ; Efe, 2023 ; Mishra, 2024 ). The iterative constant comparative analysis, due to its robustness, allowed the researchers to uncover the social process of a mentoring pair biased towards the mentee´s experiences (Charmaz, 2014 ). Meanwhile, narrative analysis helped to coherently highlight the events in the particular stories of the mentee (Dovetail Editorial Team, 2023 ; Efe, 2023 ). Ethical considerations Applying an interpretive approach, we reflected on our role in the research process and the position of privilege through memoing and regular discussions, ensuring that the participant was a respected equal partner (Charmaz, 2014 ). This study adhered to the research ethics defined and explained in the Declaration of Helsinki (World Medical Association, n.d.). Thus, to protect the participant from any harm, the following measures were taken: the study aim was shared with the participant before the interview to prevent deception. Furthermore, the ethical aspects, including voluntary participation, confidentiality, anonymity, and consent to participate and be audio-recorded, were explained to the participant prior to the interview. The interview only proceeded once the participant had read, understood, agreed and signed the consent form. Considering the displays of participant distress in certain instances during the interviews, the first author paused the conversation to offer support and asked the participant to end the interview. However, the participant replied, "No, I'm fine to continue with the interview." A debriefing session was held at the end of the interview, during which the researcher offered follow-up support and provided her contact details. Trustworthiness The trustworthiness of this study lies in its originality (Charmaz, 2006 ; 2014 ). The authors tell Bupe´s story emanating from a context less explored in terms of youth mentoring generally. The rigorous analysis process, the authors' discussions and consensus, and the thick descriptions of Bupe´s narrations, grounded in the data, illustrate the authors' in-depth understanding of the experiences of youth mentoring in football in Zambia through the mentee´s eyes (Charmaz and Thornberg, 2020 ; Tracy, 2010 ). Thereby extending and offering a novel perspective by providing a new understanding of the phenomenon based on Bupe´s experiences. This study has critical implications for practice and theory (Tracy and Hinrichs, 2017 ). The participant: Bupe As mentioned in the methodology section, this study focuses on the peculiar accounts of one of the mentees, Bupe. His experiences and perceptions of his mentoring relationship tell a compelling story of how he benefited and how he experienced bullying initiated by his mentor and coach and perpetuated by his teammates, leading to him experiencing potential harm. While collecting data in the field, the first author conveniently recruited Bupe. He fitted the initial inclusion criteria. Thus, disadvantaged youth between the ages of 15 and 20 were in a mentoring relationship with an adult for at least one year. The first author had known Bupe for a long time before the interview, so rapport was established. At the time of the interview, Bupe was 20 years old, ambitious to receive support, and similarly wanted to pursue a career in football. He completed his secondary school education at a government school. He lived with his aunt and was in a mentoring relationship with his football coach for two years. Uncle Tony, his mentor, was 36 years old and had a college qualification. He was a professional football coach and mentored young people for 14 years. See the demographics of Bupe and his mentor in Table 1 . Uncle Tony's demographic information is included to contextualise Bupe´s experiences. Table 1 Mentoring Relationship Pair (Mentor and Mentee Demographics) *Pseudonyms Uncle Tony (Male Mentor) Bupe (Male Mentee) Age in years 36 Age in years 20 Education Diploma (College) Education status Finished grade 12 Occupation Professional football coach School Attended Private and government Mentoring experience (in years) 14 Family status (living with) Guardian (aunt) Relationship duration in years: 2 years , Location - Lusaka The Interview with Bupe In September 2021, the first author conducted an interview with Bupe in Lusaka, Zambia. The interview between the first author and the mentee was conversational, allowing for a more natural and engaging process and lasted two hours. It was conducted in the country's official language, English, although two local languages, Bemba and Nyanja, occasionally comprised the conversation. This flexibility made the conversation flow naturally. Questions were asked that allowed Bupe to share his lived experiences. For instance, please tell me, how did you become a mentee? Tell me about a specific mentoring relationship you have participated in. Probe: How has your experience been? How does it work? Can you please tell me about someone who has mentored or is mentoring you? Probe: How do you describe him/her? Please tell me about your life experiences before and after this mentorship. The interview was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The first author is fluent in her native languages, Bemba and Nyanja, as well as English. She translated the few segments in the audio, in Bemba or Nyanja, into English, ensuring the translations closely conveyed the original meaning. Remember that, as a researcher and translator, her experience, education, and knowledge may influence her position, which can shape the translated text (Temple and Young, 2004 ). Analysis Coding, a technique used in constant comparative and narrative analysis methods to study the data, was applied, which allowed the researchers to compare and see patterns in the data, categorise the data or narratives by events in Bupe´s mentoring relationship (Charmaz, 2014 ; Efe, 2023 ; Glaser and Strauss, 1967 ; Dovetail Editorial Team, 2023 ). The iterative constant comparative and narrative analysis allowed for a higher level of abstraction in conceptualising Bupe´s narratives of his experiences (Charmaz, 2014 ; Efe, 2023 ; Pihlaja, 2023 ). Applying some techniques central to narrative analysis, such as selecting the analytical model and narratives to analyse, identifying narrative blocks, coding narrative blocks and delving into the story structure, assisted in immersing in and refining the participant´s experiences to tell a clear and succinct narrative (Efe, 2023 ; McLeod, 2024 ). Combining the two approaches to analysis enhanced the depth and breadth of understanding of the mentee´s mentoring benefits and experiences of bullying and harm. For instance, during data analysis of Bupe´s narrations, we initially asked ourselves analytical questions, such as, “‘What is this data a study of?’” (Charmaz, 2014 , p. 116). As we progressed, we asked questions like “‘What is the story about?’” (Saldana, 2013, p. 133). This approach aided in providing more nuanced insights from the stories and in presenting findings in the form of narratives, presented in chronological order, while illustrating other narratives—the complex context within which the stories of benefits and experiences of bullying and harm occurred (Efe, 2023 ; Dovetail Editorial Team, 2023 ). This eventually led to the co-construction of Bupe´s story of benefiting from and experiencing bullying and potential harm in his mentoring relationship, grounded in the data (Charmaz, 2014 ; McLeod, 2024 ). In telling Bupe´s story, excerpts from his responses (Dovetail Editorial Team, 2023 ) are used to support the findings in their original form, maintaining the meaning and authenticity of his experiences. To foster comprehension of findings, we have inserted words or phrases in square brackets in some quotes. We also use evidence from Bupe´s mentor sparingly to better understand the circumstances in which his experiences occurred. The authors' openness and use of the memoing strategy during analysis facilitated the emergence of unexpected, sensitising concepts (Blumer, 1954 ; Bowen, 2006 ; Charmaz, 2014 ), such as the mentee's simultaneous experiences of benefits and bullying, which led to potential harm. This enhanced the credibility and depth of the findings presented in this study. Against All Odds: Bupe’s Journey of Hope, Determination, and Mentorship This case concerns Bupe, a 20-year-old male who had completed grade 12 with very good results a few years prior to the interview. However, he was still not in college or university due to a lack of financial resources to support his higher education. Bupe lost his parents at a young age, and his close relatives and extended family never committed to taking care of him after that. He has lived with different families, related and unrelated, in Zambia. “He's been living in a rejected atmosphere, where the relatives of his mum couldn't accept him as part of them”, said his coach and mentor. Consequently, Bupe has never had a permanent home to live in. Bupe himself, during interviews, also disclosed that he had shared his private information about losing his parents with his mentor. He told him that since losing his parents, he had been “moving from place to place … not really having a place to live.” The mentor disclosed that Bupe´s life circumstances were challenging as he “[was] coming from a very frustrated background.” However, despite all the challenges that overwhelmed Bupe´s life, he remained focused on changing his situation. His coach and mentor described him as a “great [and] very responsible person, a very good boy … a fast learner … passionate and … a dream chaser, who [others] can look up to, today” despite his passing through challenges. The mentor revealed that Bupe´s positive traits are what “encouraged [him] to be close to him because” he sensed that one day he would “be one of the greatest people in the world.” Bupe saw his mentor´s presence as a crucial contributing factor that helped him “pull through” many difficult situations as he navigated his daily challenges. Determined to find a mentor Bupe searched for a mentor after discussing his experiences with friends while working as a helper on building sites. As they chatted about future dreams, Bupe realised that he needed the guidance of an adult to set realistic goals, especially in realising his passion for football, but also equally important to help him overcome fear and nervousness amid the challenges. He detailed: [My friends were] talking about what they want to do in the future ... [But]...what... [they] were saying it didn't make sense because it wasn't realistic. So, I thought, ‘Why not find someone who can help me set realistic goals? ... I need someone to guide me on that path ... [also], this is exactly what I need in times when I am nervous … When I am not sure if I can manage to pull through a difficult situation, I can have someone to guide me or to push me to achieve what I want ... [besides], for me, I wanted to go back to sport because I had such a huge passion for it. So, I thought, ‘no, I don't have anyone to guide me in sport ... you know, [in terms of] ... looking for purpose in my sports life, looking for guidance in my sports life … looking for a way up, a way to the top, in the sense that … I want to play professional football …’ So, that's how I first thought of looking for a mentor. Bupe eventually found and met his mentor, Uncle Tony, through his cousin, who was attending a football academy where he had shared his thoughts about finding adult support. His cousin introduced him to his coach, who admitted him to the academy and, by extension, became his mentor. They had known each other for two years at the time of the interviews, as previously mentioned. Bupe´s Positive Mentoring Experiences and Benefits Bupe had benefited from his mentoring relationship in various ways, including socio-emotionally and psychologically. He also gained knowledge and life attitudes (life skills) and developed and improved athletic skills. For instance, Bupe spoke about the encouragement and advice he received from his mentor when he struggled with thoughts of his past negative experiences, and he perceived their mentoring relationship positively. He declared that his mentoring relationship had “been nothing but a positive experience.” Where he learnt many things, including coping with specific negative thoughts, when he said, “he's taught me to move on from the past, and I feel that's what I have done.” Mentoring, through emotional support, helped Bupe come to terms with and adapt to new, challenging situations. In one case, Bupe shared that he struggled to adjust to the new environment in the new home where he had to live after leaving the family he had lived with for a long time, because he was accused of doing something he did not do. As he shared: There was a time when I moved out of the house I was staying in ... it was something related to electrical appliances, you know, missing in the house ... so I felt vulnerable ... When I mentioned to him the circumstances that led to me moving out and what followed after, he comforted me... In learning life attitudes and skills, Bupe portrayed the mentor's role as crucial and attributed most of his positive change to his efforts. He expressed how Uncle Tony motivated and influenced him to remain ambitious about his future football career by making him see the “bigger picture”. For example, he stated: “He sits me down and tells me important things that I feel I need to hear, like, ‘Where am I going to be playing in the next 2 years?’ ‘Am I going to represent my national team, those sorts of things …” Learning life skills was also evident when Bupe mentioned and elaborated on the specific life attitudes in which he had developed competence through mentoring. Uh...I’ve uh tolerance, discipline, confidence, composure...these are aspects of someone's personality, you know, if you teach someone to be composed, you know they will be ready for chaotic situations, even under pressure, they will be able to handle the situation well... Through mentoring, Bupe learned to be reflective, not only about his behaviour and actions but also about his mentor´s advice, which helped him to be more receptive to critique from his mentor. For example, he spoke about how he felt when his coach shouted at him during training sessions and how that made him feel like he was “not doing anything right.” Nevertheless, he also acknowledged that he sometimes had “problems with listening to instructions.” Consequently, on reflection, he realised that he may not have done certain things appropriately or as expected by the coach, like when he said: When you are off the pitch, you realise, ‘Oh, maybe I didn't trap the ball the way it was supposed to be trapped, I didn't pass the ball the way it was supposed to be passed,’ so it's about shouting but in a productive way, not shouting to, you know...bring you down, but shouting to build you up. The extract above illustrates that Bupe became more reflective in critiquing and learned from his mistakes. In a detailed account below, Bupe touches on some of the “good things” Uncle Tony has helped him develop and enhance in developing his career prospects in football: Let me start with the good things first. I am a better player, thanks to him [Uncle Tony]. I am a very versatile player; I play in almost any position... So, I feel [that he is] making me a versatile player [and] gives me a better opportunity to play for a bigger club. So, I would say versatility, number one, mentality, number two. [I] am more of a focused person now that he has taught me how to be. I mentioned shouting and scolding, those things build you up as a player, and that's what he has done. I am mentally focused. I don't let my opponents get the best of me... [Also]...hard work and commitment, he has taught me that. Discipline: discipline is very cardinal in football. I am a disciplined player because of him. So, those are just a few of the many things that he has taught me. I could go on and on because I have learnt a lot from him. In this excerpt, Bupe explicitly narrates the skills and competencies he learned that led to positive change in him and perceives them as “... prepar[ation]… for the world, both inside and outside football.” Furthermore, he acknowledges that “football is a short career”. However, the skills and competencies learned are transferable and contribute to one's learning for life, as he asserted in the following statement: “... you are going there in the world if you maintain those things that you learn[ed], the skills you have attained, then you are set to go, and you are being mentored to be a better person.” Bupe´s responses demonstrate that he accepted authority, was motivated, and was open to learning. I refer to when he acknowledged the need to be an active listener to learn from his mentor´s experience and expertise fully. He stated: He´s [the coach] played professional football before, he knows the emotions that are tied to the match, you know, he knows the techniques that are supposed to be applied during training, so my job is to listen ... to learn and try my best to absorb all the information that he's giving me, that's the way it is. The above quotes’ narration sums up Bupe´s perceived positive mentoring experiences. They also reflect a strong mentor-mentee bond between Bupe and his mentor and coach, Uncle Tony. Bupe´s Unpleasant Circumstance Like in other relationships, Bupe´s mentoring relationship was not void of challenges despite the generally positive experiences. He experienced challenges that led to his negative mentoring experiences, including breach of confidentiality and bullying. In this section, we recount the story of how Bupe experienced a breach of confidentiality, which led to bullying and, to some extent, harm in his mentoring relationship with Uncle Tony. The mentor´s “very insensitive” actions One particular challenge he experienced was learning how his mentor gossiped about him and made fun of his name to his teammates. Bupe started by disclosing that he had told his mentor about his other name used in official documents and that the mentor mocked his names to his teammates, an action he found careless: Let me just make mention of this … There was a time when I told him [mentor] about my name because there are other names that I use, uh, in official documents. So, about this … there was a time, it was very insensitive for him to ridicule my name in front of everyone. The mentor not only mocked Bupe´s name in his absence but also made public his name in the official documents, which Bupe regarded as private. “I talked about the name...thing, the ridiculing...I feel it was not right for him to blate out confidential information about myself.” This experience highlights the mentor's failure to maintain confidentiality, which led to bullying by his teammates. He stated that this inconsiderate action of his mentor made his teammates laugh at him and caused emotional pain. As he stated: Everyone is laughing at you; you are also laughing on the outside, but inside, it hurts you so badly, and you want to talk about it, but you can´t, so those are just some of the challenges that I have had in my relationship with him as [my] mentor. Furthermore, when Bupe was asked how the actions of his mentor made him feel, he said: “Well, at first, I was very disappointed ... I was disappointed in him because things like this were supposed to be confidential. Uh, you know, mentioning my name to him, he was supposed to guard, you know, as a mentor, you are supposed to be a guardian. It's even in the name. From this excerpt, Bupe, to a large extent, expected his mentor to keep the personal information, including his name, in the official documents that he had shared with him, but did not disclose to his teammates, confidential. Then he continued narrating how his mentor´s inappropriate action occurred: There was a time when I left … training … for about a month, so when I went back, we were in the gym doing fitness and then one of my teammates shouts [out] at my surname, he goes like ‘Johnson!’ So, I was like how do these guys know my surname because they only know me as [Bupe], and they shout out ‘Johnson?’ So, [I] am confused. ‘How do these people know my name?’ So, I go to my teammate, who is also my close friend [Chanda]. I ask him ati [saying], ‘Uh, what has been happening? How do these guys know my surname?’ In the above extract, Bupe also reveals that hearing one of his teammates calling his surname loudly puzzled him. Bupe´s narration of what he was told had transpired in his absence suggests that he did not expect his teammates to know about his surname. In trying to make meaning of the mentor´s action, Bupe questions his motive for making a mockery of his name to his teammates and, in so doing, revealing his personal information: Maybe he found it...funny to talk about my name even though I felt he should have kept it to himself ... So, I feel, maybe he just thought that it would be funny to talk about [my name] … without considering how I would feel. He thought it would be funny. In the quote above, there is a contradiction, as he also wants to believe that his mentor´s action may not have been intentional, even though he still believes that the mentor should not have told his teammates about that particular information about him. He did not want his name or himself to be associated with the family name ‘Johnsons’ because of his bad reputation in the country. Thus, his knowledge of his mentor's actions led to his distress. Teammates Bullying For Bupe, feeling distressed did not end with the mentor´s actions, but escalated into an ongoing challenge as his teammates started bullying him, resulting from the mentor´s mockery of his name. He revealed, “The coach said these things to my teammates, so even after he kept quiet after he forgot about it, my teammates continued ridiculing me.” Bupe recounted how “at first, it was hard to swallow,” such that “sometimes I would lose my temper.” In other attempts to deal with the bullying, he would say, “‘Uh, what you are saying doesn't really make sense. You guys should really grow up. You are too old for this kind of humour.’” He felt that his teammates insinuated him to be crooked. He described the manner of bullying and what happened: I got used to the name-calling. Uh, ‘Johnson!’ You know, you sense that there is a bit of sarcasm in the way they [teammates] say the name … referring to you as part of the main family who are crooks. So, it´s indirectly calling you a crook ... Also…people of my skin tone [biracial light skinned] are [said to be] notorious for being crooks ... fighting and whatnot. As mentioned above, Bupe´s attempts to stop the victimisation seemed unsuccessful. Consequently, as the bullying from his teammates persisted, he had to acclimate himself to it with time and use cognitive adaptation to process this experience. He explained: As time went by, I just learned to accept it when they called me ... I [had to] put it behind me because whew [expressing sigh in a deep breath]! There is nothing else you can do because when you lose your temper, you say things that you don't mean. So, it's just better to ignore and move on. In the above excerpt, Bupe discloses how challenging it was for him to deal with being bullied, to the point where he lost control and was tempted to lose his temper while trying to fight back. He also felt that he was helpless against the bullying and subsequently accepted living with the situation as a way of coping with it. Bupe also seems conscious of how a person may respond negatively verbally when they lose their temper. Something that he did not seem to enjoy doing. Realising this, he had to guard himself against losing his temper. His adaptation to the situation might have involved suppressing negative emotions as a coping mechanism. However, pretending to be okay with the mockery, despite not feeling that way, could explain his mentor, Uncle Tony's, comment on Bupe´s emotional outbursts and rage on the pitch. Uncle Tony disclosed that “Bupe could fight on the pitch [with Emphasis, gesturing with fists], and leave the pitch emotionally just because of one or two small things which happen in sports.” Bupe himself seems to confirm Uncle Tony´s narrations, as he stated, “I felt the sarcasm that they used to call my name [with, and that] set me off at first. I wasn't very happy.” Among other interpretations, this means that Bupe might no longer have wanted to share intimate information about himself with him, regardless of how it bothered him. This might have led him to harbour anger and resentment towards the mentor and the teammates, and might have triggered outbursts as described in Uncle Tony's quote above. Hoping confidentiality is maintained about other private information Bupe expressed disappointment with his mentor´s insensitive action, which led to his teammate's ongoing bullying. More importantly, he hoped that his mentor had maintained confidentiality regarding other private matters he had shared. For example, he said, “For most of the things that I have told him, I haven't heard any negative feedback from other people … which made me believe [that] he kept those things to himself.” This quote highlights Bupe’s uncertainty, insecurity and hope, suggesting that a breach of trust could discourage him from further opening up about his challenges. Bupe particularly emphasised the importance of keeping profoundly personal information, such as his struggles with homelessness and losing his parents. Fragile Relationship Bupe acknowledges the mentor's positive impact on his life and career, but struggles with the conflicting feelings about the mentor's "little bad" actions that still affect him, as he “sometimes…think about it, and it hurts a little.” When asked if he would address these issues with his mentor, Bupe hesitated, fearing it might harm their relationship. He declared, “I don't think that would sit well with him, and I think it would have a negative effect on the mentoring relationship.” He worries about being perceived as ungrateful, saying, “I [think] it would be unappreciative to tell him that,” despite believing it would be beneficial. He concludes that these issues hurt him but do not define his character. Bupe also draws inspiration from successful footballers like Sadio Mané, emphasising that “Football is an equaliser” that can transform lives. Consequently, he believes football could also help him have a better future. Discussion This study examines the story of Bupe, a disadvantaged youth and mentee in FT, and offers insight into how he benefits from a mentoring relationship within a football setting. While simultaneously facing bullying, facilitated (conscious or unconscious) by his mentor, who is also his coach, resulting in emotional and psychological harm. The many challenges that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face put them in a vulnerable position, wherein, in most cases, the possibility of being unsuccessful in what they do is high. Ultimately, the stressful circumstances prevent them from attaining a successful life. Consequently, facing all these adversities takes fortitude, proactive steps, setting realistic goals, and perseverance to navigate life's challenges successfully. Bupe´s journey has been one of fortitude. It confirms that even growing up under stressful circumstances does not mean one cannot be determined and successful, aligning with earlier studies (Evans, 2005; Rhodes et al., 2006 ; Srikantaiah et al., 2018 ). Despite facing numerous challenges, including the loss of his parents early in life and subsequent rejection from his extended family, he was determined to positively change his life course, and this study suggests identifying him as a “dream chaser.” For instance, Bupe, realising that he needed to set realistic life goals, took a proactive step in searching for a mentor to help him set his goals and navigate life's daily challenges. Mentorship, in many contexts, including sports, has been a crucial element in providing support, guidance, and social capital to help disadvantaged youth navigate challenges (Bloom et al., 1998 ; Pitney and Ehlers, 2004 ; Author, 2024; Wagstaff and Parker, 2020 ). The benefits of youth mentoring for mentees have been well documented in the literature. It has a broad positive impact on mentees, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who benefit in various ways, including socio-emotionally and psychologically. This is also true for Bupe´s mentoring experience, in which the support, in the form of encouragement and comfort, from his mentor helps him to cope with the emotional and mental challenges resulting from his being destitute, including not having a stable home. This finding highlights the crucial role of mentors in mitigating the struggles of young people facing emotional and psychological stress, and helping them cope with it (DeWit et al., 2016 ; Hurd and Zimmermann, 2010; Lyman, 2016 ; Sapiro and Ward, 2020 ; Author, 2024). Further, mentoring is cardinal in developing athlete-specific skills and general life skills. The skills learned from the mentor, who is also a coach, contribute to the mentee/player´s career development and go a long way in developing and enhancing critical life skills (Bloom et al., 1998 ; Pitney and Ehlers, 2004 ). Bupe's narrations attest to the above statement as he experienced empowerment. This kind of empowerment is perceived as a strategic intervention in the holistic development of an individual, preparing them for responsible citizenship and, ultimately, success in sport and beyond (Ekron et al, 2023 ; Mentoring Through Athletics, 2024 ; Morgan et al., 2021 ; Wagstaff and Parker, 2020 ). On the other hand, findings demonstrate how mentors can intentionally or unintentionally cause psychological harm to mentees, mainly when working with a group of youths, such as in a football academy. The mentee mentioned several times how “disappointed” and “hurt” he was due to his mentor´s actions. The mentor in this study may never have thought that his actions could harm his mentee and may not have intended to do so. However, the lack of observing boundaries and his careless attitude, which may have resulted from the power imbalance in the relationship, led him to reveal information that was confided in him. He may not have considered how his actions could lead to a constant battle of feelings of harm in his mentee. This finding aligns with literature that has consistently shown that mentors may not harm mentees on purpose but that mentors´ oppressive patterns of behaviour and lack of sound judgement, among others, may lead them to power misuse to the extent of breaching confidentiality and causing harm to mentees (Albright et al., 2017 ; Author, 2025; Rhodes and DuBois, 2006 ; Rhodes et al., 2009 ; Zilberstein and Spencer, 2014 ). We are also compelled to point out that the mentor´s attitude and actions in this study may have been hugely influenced by the social and cultural context of Zambia, which is primarily patriarchal. Wagstaff and Parker (2022) have reported on how adults in African patriarchal societies often hold superior attitudes toward young people and show little regard for them. However, a mentor´s careless attitude and actions towards their mentee devastate their mental well-being. Therefore, mentors have the responsibility to support, guide, and act as a protector, creating an environment where mentees feel completely safe and secure. This makes them hopeful of rising above their daily challenges. In this case, the mentee dealt with the situation ineffectively without the mentor's support, learning to accept it even though it “hurt”. To the detriment of his personal and career development, as a result of continued and increased traumatic mental stress. DiYanni ( 2023 , para. 3) reports that bullying has a detrimental impact in that it can lead to “physical and psychological suffering.” Among other consequences of bullying are bad temper, nervousness, feeling low and left-out, loneliness and helplessness. Bupe experienced some of these effects, as evidenced by his mention that he would sometimes lose his temper when bullied. Also, he felt helpless and hopeless when he mentioned that he had to accept being mocked because there was “nothing else” he could do to stop it. Mentees' experiences of helplessness and hopelessness are often overlooked in team bullying; the chances of the bullied taking themselves out of the bullying circle are almost impossible without intervention from authority or a coach (Author, 2025; Ríos et al., 2022 ). The story of Bupe demonstrates that the situation of bullying in football may be more devastating for youths from disadvantaged backgrounds with no proper parental or familial support. For instance, unlike Ríos et al. ( 2022 ), who reported that victims of bullying in their study could report their bullies to their mentors and that parents at home ‘picked up’ that something was bothering their children, which they later discovered that they were being bullied by their teammates and in supporting their children, they approached the coaches to address the issue. The situation of Bupe is deeply concerning because he could not report the bullies or the bullying situation to his mentor, as he was the initiator. Additionally, Bupe might not have had adults in his home who were close to him to identify what was bothering him and support him accordingly. This scenario illustrates how Bupe was entirely dependent on himself to find a solution to his predicament. To that end, attachment theory literature cautions mentors, as secondary attachment figures, to be creators of safe spaces in which the mentees can feel protected and encouraged to problem solve and develop crucial socio-emotional competencies, which may lead to better management of stress and contribute to overall personal and career skills development (Austin et al., 2020 ; DuBois et al., 2011 ; Rhodes et al., 2006 ). As the findings indicate, Bupe questioned why the mentor shared his personal information, as he thought that perhaps the mentor found speaking about his name to his teammates amusing, which could indicate a questionable level of trust leading to a fragile relationship. Literature maintains that trust is the foundation of any mentoring relationship, and bringing it into disrepute compromises the relationship processes (DuBois et al., 2011 ; Hagler et al., 2020 ; Rhodes et al., 2006 ). Our findings suggest that one potential unintended action from a mentor can tarnish their ‘good’ name and cause damage to the smooth processes of a mentoring relationship. As the mentee´s trust is fragile, mistrust becomes the order of the day in the relationship, leading to disagreements and dysfunction or ending the mentorship. In this study, the mentee may not have ended the relationship despite feeling hurt by the actions of his mentor and teammates, fearing that it would jeopardise his professional football career aspirations. Despite his hostile environment, he had to hold on to the prospect of his future career; he had to suppress his mental well-being to achieve his goal. Mainly because, as some researchers, such as Esson (2016), Morgan et al. ( 2021 ), and a coach Mwila ( 2024 ), have reported that many disadvantaged youths believe that through football, their lives can change for the better. Nonetheless, sacrificing mental health for career prospects in sports could exacerbate mental distress and harm for youths from disadvantaged backgrounds (Steingard, 2023 ). To this end, findings illustrate how coaches´ inconsiderate behaviours and actions can harm a young person psychologically, to the detriment of their football career and a better life. In conclusion, this study highlights that youth mentoring presents numerous challenges, particularly when enacted informally. This is evident for the mentors who have a huge responsibility to support the disadvantaged youth's growth. We found in this study that Bupe benefited from the better, but also experienced harm due to insensitive actions from the mentor. Besides, this study illustrates how mentees place a high sense of responsibility on their mentors to hold their private information sensitively. Thus, we recommend that even in informal settings, policy and practice should address the mentor knowledge gap by offering training and establishing points of contact in governmental and non-governmental institutions that focus on youth mentoring. Football academies should also provide support to coaches in the form of skills training and mentoring informed by ethical principles embedded in counselling professions, such as social work, psychology, and teaching. This support should include addressing the challenging behaviour of mentees, encouraging mentors to reflect on their attitudes and behaviours towards their mentees, and managing relationships. Mentors should cultivate better management of sensitive information by exercising empathy and displaying a non-judgmental attitude. This fosters open communication and trustful relationships, which provides a safe atmosphere and encourages mentees to share personal information. Limitations A key limitation of this study lies in its reliance on a single case, Bupe’s personal narrative, which, while rich in depth and insight, cannot be assumed to represent the broader population of youth mentees (Charmaz, 2014 ; Margarella, 2016 ). As it is typical in qualitative research, the findings are not intended to be statistically generalisable. The use of purposive theoretical sampling was deliberate, focusing on Bupe's experiences within the specific cultural and social context of youth mentoring in Zambian team sports. Consequently, the findings may only be transferable to mentoring practices in similar social and cultural contexts at the reader's discretion. While Bupe’s story powerfully illustrates both the positive and harmful dynamics that can emerge in mentoring relationships, particularly how a mentee can simultaneously benefit from guidance and be vulnerable to bullying, leading to potential emotional and psychological harm, these experiences are inherently subjective. Thus, the study provides an in-depth, contextualised understanding rather than broad conclusions. Nonetheless, such narratives are essential for illuminating the nuanced emotional and psychological landscapes that quantitative approaches may overlook (Margevičiūtė, 2012 ). Statement of publication overlap As mentioned in the introduction and methodology sections, this publication is based on my PhD dissertation, which provided the foundational research for this publication. Therefore, certain sections, including the research context, methodological framework, and participant quotations, may be similar to those in my dissertation, as they are essential to accurately represent the research setting and data. These overlaps are typical when disseminating comprehensive research findings across multiple publications. Though the overarching research framework is consistent with my dissertation, this article offers a more in-depth analysis of [category B of the findings chapter], thereby contributing new insights to the field of youth mentoring and sport. All sections derived from my dissertation are appropriately referenced, and any overlaps are justified by the need to maintain consistency and accuracy in presenting the research findings. Declarations Data availability statement The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to ethical reasons. However, the interview transcripts are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, and subject to the participants' consent. Author contributions MMW: project administration, investigation, data curation, conceptualisation, methodology, initial data analysis, formal analysis, writing-original draft, writing-review and editing and funding acquisition. EDM: methodology, formal analysis, writing-review and editing, and assisting in resolving questions. All authors approved the final version of the article. Competing interests The authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethical statement This study received ethical approval from the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS) at the University of Bayreuth on June 18, 2021, and was confirmed by the BIGSAS Executive Committee on June 23, 2021. No formal approval number was assigned. The study was conducted in accordance with the university’s ethical guidelines and adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for research involving human subjects. The research process was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Dr Iris Clemens, ensuring compliance with institutional and international ethical standards for human research. Informed consent Being a grounded theory study, the entire research data was collected between the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2023. All participants were informed about the aims and purpose of the study, as well as the procedures involved. Participants were informed about and agreed to voluntary participation; they were assured of the confidentiality and anonymity of their data. Participants were interviewed in person only after they had signed the informed consent form. Additional information Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to M. M. W. Funding This research received no external funding. 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Journal of Athletic Training 39(4):344–351. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC535527/ Population Council and UNFPA (2018) State of the youth in Zambia policy brief: education, unemployment, and poverty reduction. https://zambia.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Brief-Policy-Youth-Zambia-FINAL%20%283%29.pdf. Accessed 2 Dec 2020 Rhodes JE (2020) Older and wiser: new ideas for youth mentoring in the 21st century. Harvard University Press. Rhodes JE, & DuBois DL (2006) Understanding and facilitating the youth mentoring movement. In the Society for Research in Child Development, Social Policy Report, Vol XX. P 3). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED521751.pdf Rhodes JE, Lowe SR (2008) Youth mentoring and resilience: ‘implications for practice’. Child Care in Practice 14(1):9–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13575270701733666 Rhodes J, Liang B, Spencer R (2009) First do no harm: ethical principles for youth mentoring relationships. Professional Psychology Research and Practice 40(5):452–458. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015073 Rhodes JE, Spencer R, Keller TE, Liang B, Noam G (2006) ‘A model for the influence of mentoring relations on youth development’. Journal of Community Psychology 34(6):691–707. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcop.20124 Ríos X, Ventura C, Mateu P (2022) “I gave up football, and I had no intention of ever going back”: retrospective experiences of victims of bullying in youth sport. Frontiers in Psychology 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.819981 Saldaña J (2013) The coding manual for qualitative researchers (2nd ed). Los Angeles Samuel Hall (2019) Dropping Out? a participatory exploration of adolescent school journeys in Zambia. UNICEF Zambia. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cfe2c8927234e0001688343/t/5d5d3f4c96e4e0000 1af0035/1566392202093/SH_UNICE F_MAIN_Full.pdf Accessed 9 Jun 2024 Sapiro B, Ward A (2020) Marginalized youth, mental health, and connection with others: a review of the literature. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 37(4):343-357 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-019-00628-5 Schwartz SE, Rhodes JE (2016) From treatment to empowerment: new approaches to youth mentoring. American Journal of Community Psychology 58:150–157. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12070 Spencer R (2012) A working model of mentors’ contributions to youth mentoring relationship quality: Insights from research on psychotherapy. LEARNing Landscapes 5(2):295–312. https://doi.org/10.36510/learnland.v5i2.567 Spencer R (2006) Understanding the mentoring process between adolescents and adults. Youth & Society 37(3):287–315. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558405278263 Srikantaiah D, Eichhorn MS, Khan M (2018) Determination of marginalized youth to overcome and achieve in mathematics in India. Global Education Review 5(3):5–28. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1193972.pdf Steingard RJ (2023) My son is being bullied on the football team, and the coach ignores it. Should I talk to him? Child Mind Institute. https://childmind.org/article/my-son-is-being-bullied-on-the-football-team-and-the-coach-ignores-it-should-i-talk-to-him/ Accessed 4 Mar 2025 Swigonski NL, Enneking BA, Hendrix KS (2014) Bullying behavior by athletic coaches. PEDIATRICS 133(2):e273–e275. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-3146 Temple B, Young A (2004) Qualitative research and translation dilemmas. Qualitative Research 4(2):161–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794104044430 Tracy SJ (2010) Qualitative quality: Eight “big-tent” criteria for excellent qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry 16(10):837–851. DOI:10.1177/1077800410383121. Tracy SJ, Hinrichs MM (2017) Big tent criteria for qualitative quality. The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods:1-10. DOI: 10.1002/9781118901731.iecrm0016 Wagstaff M, Parker A (2020) Youth, “waithood,” and social change: sport, mentoring, and empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Sport for Development 9(1):18–31. https://jsfd.org/2021/02/01/youth-waithood-and-social-change-sport-mentoring-and-empowerment-in-sub-saharan-africa/ Wimpenny P, Gass J (2000) Interviewing in phenomenology and grounded theory: Is there a difference? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 31(6):1485–1492. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01431.x World Medical Association (nd). The World Medical Association-WMA Declaration of Helsinki – Ethical principles for medical research involving human participants. https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki/ Accessed 29 Dec 2020 Zilberstein K, Spencer R (2014) Breaking bad: an attachment perspective on youth mentoring relationship closures. Child & Family Social Work 22(1):67–76. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12197 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7837315","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":542168668,"identity":"38ac5cdd-d40b-46da-8b7d-8ae6f5f9f1de","order_by":0,"name":"Mary Mulenga-Wincierz","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"University of Bayreuth","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mary","middleName":"","lastName":"Mulenga-Wincierz","suffix":""},{"id":542168669,"identity":"4f592092-fa44-4ad3-87e0-4bbdee6b7894","order_by":1,"name":"Elfriede Derrer-Merk","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Liverpool","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Elfriede","middleName":"","lastName":"Derrer-Merk","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-10-11 20:23:12","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7837315/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7837315/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":95584476,"identity":"b0519ae3-416f-43ce-93bc-7d92d7ea60a0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-10 22:11:41","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":78071,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"RedactedManuscriptMentoringinSportZambia1.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7837315/v1/eeaf7ea352e47796ed465475.docx"},{"id":95584475,"identity":"89e4af0f-211d-4383-b9e2-47c5208c17ed","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-10 22:11:41","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":4345,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"9038ad2348614887b1de0ed9033d5928.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7837315/v1/c20c02e90d5f197c50ebc45a.json"},{"id":95584477,"identity":"521f0adc-805f-4f5f-a812-5d976765dafd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-10 22:11:41","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":175110,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"9038ad2348614887b1de0ed9033d59281enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7837315/v1/5dd57e0931fbc591c242950a.xml"},{"id":95584478,"identity":"23514113-3390-490c-90bc-f634b7f33d89","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-10 22:11:41","extension":"xml","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":170429,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"9038ad2348614887b1de0ed9033d59281structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7837315/v1/751911f66a33b62577994f81.xml"},{"id":95584479,"identity":"d8efcb18-3215-420c-8e6f-6dc29f7bdc5e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-10 22:11:41","extension":"html","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":182992,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7837315/v1/95a6029508b245512ed31d1c.html"},{"id":98322358,"identity":"c1366e7f-c63a-4104-89c6-1f24a5aa64a8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-16 14:09:54","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":880665,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7837315/v1/1acfb71c-6eaa-488f-a56d-8aac8c4905f2.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"“I am a better player, thanks to him” - “You are laughing on the outside, but inside, it hurts you so badly:” The double-edged sword of mentoring in sport","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eYouth mentoring relationships (YMR/s) are crucial to the development and well-being of young people worldwide. This inquiry builds upon findings from a [description of study]. Youth mentoring is a social, nonprofessional relationship between a more knowledgeable and experienced non-parental adult and an inexperienced and less knowledgeable young person (Schwartz and Rhodes, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Spencer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR68\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). The relationship is personal and founded on mutual trust, aiming to provide support and guide the young person's positive development (Busse et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Spencer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR68\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eContextually, mentoring informed by Western values is perceived as an educational social relationship based on openness, friendship, and interaction (Hu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), notwithstanding the inherent power imbalance characteristics of such relationships. Whereas these values may be more challenging in conservative societies, such as Zambia (Goldner and Scharf, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Hu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). For instance, in Zambia, adults are generally viewed as persons with superior authority over younger people. By virtue, young people are expected to accord adults respect, whereas the same may not be expected in return from them. In most instances, this situation may lead to power struggles between adults and youths in mentoring relationships, not only in Zambia but in other traditionalist societies too (Hu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Subsequently, researchers globally assert that respect should be mutual in a mentoring relationship to avoid misunderstandings and conflict, leading to dissatisfaction and adverse mentoring outcomes and, in some cases, harm, which are primarily to the detriment of the mentee (Albright et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Eby et al., 2000; Geber and Keane, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Department of Victorian Communities, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Nottingham et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere are two primary forms of youth mentoring: formal and informal, also referred to as natural or organic. Formal mentoring is planned and time-specific. It occurs within a programme, wherein programme staff match non-parental adult mentors to youths and specific goals are defined (Brady and Dolan, 2007; Schwartz and Rhodes, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). Matched mentors come from communities. Before mentoring, they are screened, for example, for good conduct, trained in mentoring skills, and continuously monitored to promote quality, ultimately leading to effective mentoring (Evans, 2005; Garringer et al., 2017). Some characteristics of effective mentorships include setting clear goals and expectations, open communication, impartiality, honesty, mutual respect, empathy, and respecting boundaries (Braun and von Oertzen, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Ekron et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Nottingham et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes and Lowe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). However, formal mentoring is critiqued for being time-bound, which may fall short of desired mentoring outcomes (DuBois et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes and Lowe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e; Hurd et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn informal mentoring, on the other hand, no screening, training, or monitoring of mentors is done, and no matching is involved. Relationships between non-parental adults, such as community members, grandparents, teachers, coaches, extended family members, and young people start naturally (Hurd et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Hurd and Zimmerman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Author, 2024). Since it is organic, the relationships are not time-specific and may last longer than formal relationships. Not being time-bound may yield substantial benefits compared to formal mentoring (Hurd et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Hurd and Zimmerman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Schwartz and Rhodes, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). However, critiques of informal mentoring argue that there is too much dependence on the mentor\u0026acute;s compassion and generosity (Kadzomba, 2015), which may lead to the mentor experiencing mental stress and burnout (Lakind et al., 2015; Author, 2024).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOverall, effective formal and informal mentoring should be informed by best practices, including building a strong mentor-mentee bond, mutual understanding and respect, equal communication, observing boundaries, having a benevolent mentor attitude and patience, and time investment, despite context (Geber and Keane, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Miskic, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Nottingham et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Notwithstanding personal and environmental factors, the absence of best practices can negatively influence mentoring processes and lead to harm in the relationships. The actors involved in mentoring, especially the mentors, are expected to apply best practices to strive for effective mentoring processes, positive relationships, and successful outcomes for their mentees.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgainst this background, there is a limited understanding of how young aspiring footballers in Zambia experience and perceive mentoring relationships with their coaches. Addressing this gap can provide valuable insights into the contextual factors that shape athlete-coach interactions and inform targeted coaching practices to support youth development in Zambian football. The researchers utilise narrative methods alongside constructivist grounded theory to explore and understand the experiences of a young football mentee named Bupe.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMentor responsibilities\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeing a mentor to a young person comes with a huge responsibility. Here, we briefly highlight a few key responsibilities. Mentoring relationships involving the more knowledgeable and experienced mentor and the less knowledgeable and experienced mentee, where the latter stands to gain more from the relationship than the former, create an inherent imbalance in the interactions between the two. Additionally, the age difference between the mentor and mentee means that power dynamics inevitably characterise the relationship. Therefore, Garvey et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e) assert that a mentor is responsible for understanding how their position of power can influence interactions and the magnitude of their impact on the mentoring process and outcomes, ultimately affecting the mentee. Consequently, mentors are expected to be honest, have empathy and be friendly, respect mentees, foster trust by adhering to confidentiality, build strong bonds, and strive to promote positive mentoring experiences from their side (Braun and von Oertzen, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Ekron et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Nottingham et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes and Lowe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurthermore, according to attachment theory (Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e), mentors can also serve as alternative caregivers, especially for youths who have experienced broken relationships with their primary caregivers (DuBois et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Hagler et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). In attachment theory, a child's early separation from their caregiver influences how that child regulates emotions, values themselves (self-worth), and handles future relationships, mostly leading to insecure attachment styles (Bretherton, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1992\u003c/span\u003e). The caregiver is crucial to shaping the young person\u0026acute;s short- and long-term development, as they provide the child's overall needs, including safety and security, protection, education, and emotional and psychological support. Rhodes et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e, p. 695) state that mentors, as secondary caregivers, can relieve \u0026ldquo;relationship tensions and conflicts\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;stress\u0026rdquo; that arise during adolescence and young people's experiences. Mentors, therefore, are in a critical position to help youth, especially the disadvantaged, navigate socioemotional and mental stress, such as that resulting from poverty (DeWit et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Hurd and Zimmermann, 2010; Lyman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Sapiro and Ward, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR65\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Author, 2024). Thus, the ultimate goal of a mentor is to create a conducive atmosphere in which the mentee feels protected, safe, encouraged, motivated, and confident about developing and enhancing their cognitive and socioemotional skills and competencies (DuBois et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Ekron et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Spencer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR67\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoreover, observing healthy boundaries and keeping mentees' personal information confidential is expected of mentors to protect mentees from harm. Rhodes et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e) equate the level of confidentiality that mentors should have to that exercised by professional helpers such as those in therapist-client relationships. Upholding confidentiality in mentoring relationships fosters open communication between the mentor and mentee, which can help mitigate differences and misunderstandings and prevent emotional and psychological harm (Rhodes, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, mentors must refrain from making careless and improper comments about mentees to develop and maintain healthy relationships (Eby et al., 2000; Albright et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). To this end, mentors should uphold the key responsibilities mentioned above to ensure effective mentoring and a positive experience for mentees, regardless of the context.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMentors are responsible for supporting and guiding the mentee and doing no harm. In their 2009 article, \u0026ldquo;First Do No Harm: Ethical Principles for Youth Mentoring Relationships\u0026rdquo;, Rhodes et al., trying to establish mentoring ethics, propose ethical principles that mentors should follow to minimise the potential of causing harm to the young person under their care. Rhodes et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e) state that they base their suggested principles on 1) the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association of 2002 primarily and 2) the ethical agreements that guide other paraprofessionals, volunteers and youth workers in American, British and Australian communities and on the best practices based on empirical findings and practice. Subsequently, they propose and discuss the youth mentoring ethical principles as listed below:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eA: Promote the Welfare and Safety of the Young Person (Beneficence and Nonmaleficence)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eB: Be Trustworthy and Responsible (Fidelity and Responsibility)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eC: Act With Integrity (Integrity)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eD: Promote Justice for Young People (Justice)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eE: Respect the Young Person\u0026rsquo;s Rights and Dignity (Respect for People\u0026rsquo;s Rights and Dignity) (Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e, pp. 453\u0026ndash;456).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e These ethical principles are self-explanatory, and mentors are responsible for upholding them.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMentor's characteristics, culture and power impacts\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs discussed above, mentoring has great potential to support youth in their personal and career development. However, like any other relationship, YMRs are not void of negative experiences and harm. Emotional and psychological harm, among others, may happen to both mentors and mentees, but mostly unintentionally (Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Research has shown that when mentors have limited skills, sound judgement and limited experience and knowledge of working with marginalised youth, despite themselves coming from a disadvantaged background, they may find it challenging to manage their relationships, leading them to deploy inappropriate approaches and practices, such as manipulative behaviour and power misuse (Albright et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Integrative Life Center, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e), which may lead to harm on the part of the mentee. Furthermore, Rhodes et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e, p. 454) suggest that harm towards mentees may result from mentors' limited skills, knowledge, experience, or prudence, leading to \u0026ldquo;the misuse of power (e.g., exploitation, heavy-handed persuasion) and inappropriate boundaries (e.g., breaching confidentiality, improper disclosures).\u0026rdquo; Similarly, Albright et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e, p. 10) discovered that mentors' lack of understanding of power, privileges and oppression can cause psychological harm to mentees as they use \u0026ldquo;misguided or inappropriate\u0026rdquo; approaches and practices.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNegative mentoring experiences (NME/s) and harm can also happen when mentors lack insight into power dynamics and how their privileged position can easily result in manipulative and exploitative behaviour. Manipulative and exploitative behaviours in mentoring, including in the workplace or youth-adult settings, may include intimidation, controlling and guilt-tripping; all this may be done to induce a mentee to do something so that a mentor reaches a desired goal (Eby et al., 2000). The potential for mentors to behave and act unbecomingly is unavoidable due to the inherent power imbalance (Albright et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Thus, mentors' oppressive tendencies due to misuse of power are one of the contributing factors to mentees\u0026acute; NMEs, leading to harm.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRhodes et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e, p. 454) list two examples of mentors\u0026acute; actions, i.e., \u0026ldquo;breaching confidentiality and improper disclosures that may result from a mentor\u0026acute;s inappropriate boundaries\u0026rdquo; and a casual attitude, leading to a mentee\u0026acute;s NMEs and harm. Murray (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e), in her report \u0026ldquo;When a Mentor Does More Harm than Good\u0026rdquo;, reveals how a 15-year-old's mentoring relationship prematurely ended because his mentor, whom he had confided in, released private information about him to his colleague. This left the mentee feeling angrier than he was purported to have been before getting into the relationship, which was supposed to help him manage his \u0026lsquo;anger\u0026rsquo; behaviour. While the scenario depicted here is within formal mentoring, some researchers, especially in the USA, have highlighted that many mentoring programmes try to prevent harm to mentees by conducting preliminary screenings of prospective mentors and training them on the Dos and Don\u0026acute;ts (Albright et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). On the other hand, in the case of natural mentoring, doing background checks and vetting aspiring mentors for suitability and training in mentor skills is impossible, which puts mentees in such relationships at high risk of the mentor\u0026acute;s potentially harmful behaviour (Albright et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMentoring relationships cannot be separated from the cultural context in which they occur. Thus, cultural values and social norms significantly influence the quality and outcomes of the mentoring process (Goldner and Scharf, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Rana, 2018). From a Global North perspective, mentoring values equality in communication and emphasises friendship (Department of Victorian Communities, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). In the Global South, particularly in patriarchal settings such as Africa, where Zambia is located, mentoring may be influenced by a culture that positions adults as superior to younger people (Geber and Keane, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Wagstaff and Parker, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR75\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). In this case, a mentor may play a dominant role. As such, a mentee may not speak up about specific issues, particularly those emanating from the mentor\u0026acute;s behaviour and actions. This often leads to a deepened power imbalance in the relationships, as mentors and mentees are inclined and mainly adhere to cultural values and norms, such as respecting the mentor's naturally normalised authority. As a result, power-imbalanced interactions can trigger a cascade of adverse effects on the mentee, especially if they prioritise open communication and equality over normalised superiority. The effects may include constant misunderstandings and persistent conflicts leading to continuous NMEs (Author, 2024; Author, 2025; Nottingham et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBullying and its consequences\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBullying is a worldwide problem that occurs in different social settings. Although there is no universal definition of bullying. Researchers primarily describe bullying as the regular misuse of power, where a more powerful person or group of people repetitively intimidates a less powerful, weaker individual (Inesia-Forde, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Swigonski et al., 2024). The literature demonstrates that bullying behaviour includes, among other behaviours, demeaning others, ridiculing, shaming, physical violence, name-calling and rumour-mongering (Inesia-Forde, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Swigonski et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR71\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Inesia-Forde (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) further explains that these bullying behaviours are intended to dehumanise the victim by making them feel guilt, shame and less of themselves.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese emotions can have devastating, lasting consequences for the victim, as they may experience feelings of injustice, resentment, aggression, low self-esteem, demoralisation, helplessness, and hopelessness, or all of these combined (Inesia-Forde, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; R\u0026iacute;os et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR62\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). DiYanni (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e, para. 3) adds to the effects: \u0026ldquo;bad temper, nervousness, feeling low... feeling left out, loneliness, and helplessness.\u0026rdquo; Inesia-Forde (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e, p. 64) asserts that these negative feelings affect the emotional and psychological well-being of a person, leading to them to struggle with \u0026ldquo;anxiety, suicidal behaviour, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, fear of ramifications or increased bullying, hopelessness, loss of career opportunities, decreased confidence...\u0026rdquo;, or if the victimised person is within a programme, \u0026ldquo;abandoning the program.\u0026rdquo; According to Swigonski et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR71\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e, p. e273), \u0026ldquo;Bullying can impair social and emotional development and cause substantial harm to mental health.\u0026rdquo; In the context of sports, where the coach is often perceived as a bully, Swigonski et al. report that the stress athletes experience due to competition exacerbates the harmful consequences of bullying.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to DiYanni (para. 4), bullying in a team perpetrated by teammates may lead to the victim's decreased sports satisfaction, feeling isolated, and experiencing \u0026ldquo;low self-esteem, sadness, embarrassment and fear.\u0026rdquo; The adverse effects extend to the team as trust and a strong team bond might become fragile, affecting positive interactions and performance. Furthermore, in a study titled \u0026ldquo;\u0026lsquo;I Gave Up Football, and I Had No Intention of Ever Going Back\u0026rsquo;: Retrospective Experiences of Victims of Bullying in Youth Sport,\u0026rdquo; R\u0026iacute;os et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR62\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) found that young people in team sports such as football and who experienced bullying initiated and perpetuated by their teammates were prone to feelings of helplessness because of being unable to put an end to the persistent experiences of bullying. Bullying in football has the potential to cause emotional and psychological harm, leading to disruption of the victims\u0026acute; positive development and ending their participation in the sport\u0026acute;s practice (Inesia-Forde, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; R\u0026iacute;os et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR62\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMentoring Through Football\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMentoring is a flexible social intervention strategy widely applied in different contexts. It has the potential to influence young people\u0026acute;s various areas of development, including academic, socio-emotional, behavioural, psychological and youth athletic development (Busse et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Ekron et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Hurd and Zimmerman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Author, 2024; Pitney and Ehlers, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e; Schwartz and Rhodes, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Wagstaff and Parker, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR75\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Meanwhile, football is perceived as central to socialisation and unification in society and as a means out of poverty for many disadvantaged youths (Abderrahmane, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Esson, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Morgan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Mwila, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Wagstaff and Parker, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR75\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Like many other sports, football can also be used as a preventive, corrective and rehabilitative intervention strategy to improve physical health and address problem behaviours, including crime, violence, substance abuse, and other anti-social behaviours (Local Government Association, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Ferdinand and Kiu Publication Extension (2024) report that, among other benefits, such as physical health and fitness, sport also contributes to youth\u0026acute;s positive mental health outcomes, as it aids in relieving stress and fostering relaxation, as well as helps in building trusting relationships and camaraderie, and increases the sense of belonging (Diyanni, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Bloom et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1998\u003c/span\u003e) further explain that in sports, coaches go beyond their typical roles of coaching, such as instructing athletes on how to be technically proficient or accurately pass the ball or be an agile player, to taking on a more personal and mentoring role. Mentoring in sports, including football, contributes to athletes' career and personal development by facilitating the anticipatory socialisation process and eventually adhering to team norms and values (Bloom et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1998\u003c/span\u003e; Pitney and Ehlers, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, both mentoring and football are crucial aspects of the overall development of a disadvantaged young person. Hence, youths\u0026acute; participation in developmental football is important to their development. However, as DiYanni (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) has noted, a positive and bias-free team environment is equally crucial.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYoung people comprise the majority of the Zambian population, and many face significant disadvantages. According to Samuel Hall (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e), many young people experience significant challenges, including limited access to quality education and training, high unemployment rates, inadequate sexual and reproductive health services, political exploitation, violence and increased poverty. To address these challenges, promoting youth inclusion and equity is crucial to fostering their participation in mainstream social, economic and political systems. Empowering youth enables them to engage in education, training and economic activities and contribute to community life. For instance, mentoring and football have been identified as strategic interventions for youth empowerment, which can lead to positive youth development (Morgan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Wagstaff and Parker, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR75\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Refer to \"Mentoring Through Athletics\" (2024) to gain a deeper understanding of how mentoring and sports, including football, empower youths and prepare them for success in various areas of life. This empowerment is key in mitigating unhealthy behaviours such as substance abuse, prostitution, child marriages, gang violence, and crime, all of which can perpetuate poverty, mental health issues, social unrest and instability (Population Council and UNFPA, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). When adequately empowered, young people become agents of their own development, achieving active citizenship and contributing to sustainable development. Ultimately, this holistic approach benefits individuals and makes a positive contribution to society.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCurrent study\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study is critical because it explores the nuanced experiences of one individual navigating youth sports mentoring in Zambia\u0026mdash;a context in which studies on youth mentoring and sports mentoring are limited or non-existent. We employ a narrative approach combined with constructivist grounded theory to uncover the mentee\u0026acute;s experiences and, therefore, how he benefited from the relationship and experienced bullying initiated by his mentor and perpetuated by his teammates, potentially leading to emotional and psychological harm. To capture the experiences of Bupe, a Zambian emerging adult, we focus on the following research question: \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eHow does a young person aspiring for a professional football career experience mentoring with his coach in Zambia?\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rdquo; The research methodology, design, and methods applied to this study are described below.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis article draws on the first author's broader exploratory constructivist grounded theory (CGT) PhD study, which examines [description of study]. The study was informed by constructivist ontology and interpretivist epistemology (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResearcher\u0026acute;s perspective and positionality\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe study emphasises the authors\u0026acute; positionality and reflexivity (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Cope, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Holmes, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Adopting an interpretive approach, the authors acknowledged their role as partners in the research process (Cope, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Holmes, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). They exercised reflexivity and remained conscious of the potential biases they might bring to the study (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Creswell and Miller, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e; Nagel et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Thus, the authors\u0026acute; positionality is that reality is multiple and contextual, and people attribute a subjective meaning to it (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). Further, the authors applied prior knowledge and experiences as sensitising concepts during data analysis and reporting findings (Blumer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1954\u003c/span\u003e; Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, they did not prescribe what to look for in the data.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMethods\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the study's philosophical underpinnings, the research's primary methodology was constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e), which is a flexible approach. This methodology is appropriate when there is limited research to understand a phenomenon in a particular area. Thus, it aids in systematically providing insight into a phenomenon (Inesia-Forde, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). As an exploratory and CGT study, data were collected using a semi-structured interview schedule consisting of open-ended narrative-generating questions (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Wimpenny and Gass, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e). In grounded theory, narrative-generating questions enable the collection of detailed, subjective, and contextual accounts from participants (Wimpenny and Gass, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR76\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e). Purposeful and theoretical sampling methods of grounded theory were applied to select participants (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Morse, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). The first author sought mentors and mentees with first-hand experiences of the youth mentoring phenomenon in Zambia, which were fit for the analysis and development of the study (Morse, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo that end, this research highlights the mentoring experiences and perceptions of one of the mentees, Bupe, in the broader study. To tell a grounded theory-generated story of Bupe\u0026acute;s mixed experiences of benefits and bullying leading to potential harm in his relationship, we applied constant comparative analysis (identifying similarities and differences, variation finding) (Inesia-Forde, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) combined with narrative analysis methods (Efe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Mishra, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Saldana, 2013). There is an overlap between these two methods. Thus, it was suitable to apply narrative analysis as it also uses interpretive, inductive and deductive reasoning for data analysis and allows the researcher to explore the single personal experience(s) across time (Dovetail Editorial Team, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Efe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Mishra, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The iterative constant comparative analysis, due to its robustness, allowed the researchers to uncover the social process of a mentoring pair biased towards the mentee\u0026acute;s experiences (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Meanwhile, narrative analysis helped to coherently highlight the events in the particular stories of the mentee (Dovetail Editorial Team, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Efe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEthical considerations\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApplying an interpretive approach, we reflected on our role in the research process and the position of privilege through memoing and regular discussions, ensuring that the participant was a respected equal partner (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). This study adhered to the research ethics defined and explained in the Declaration of Helsinki (World Medical Association, n.d.). Thus, to protect the participant from any harm, the following measures were taken: the study aim was shared with the participant before the interview to prevent deception. Furthermore, the ethical aspects, including voluntary participation, confidentiality, anonymity, and consent to participate and be audio-recorded, were explained to the participant prior to the interview. The interview only proceeded once the participant had read, understood, agreed and signed the consent form. Considering the displays of participant distress in certain instances during the interviews, the first author paused the conversation to offer support and asked the participant to end the interview. However, the participant replied, \"No, I'm fine to continue with the interview.\" A debriefing session was held at the end of the interview, during which the researcher offered follow-up support and provided her contact details.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eTrustworthiness\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe trustworthiness of this study lies in its originality (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). The authors tell Bupe\u0026acute;s story emanating from a context less explored in terms of youth mentoring generally. The rigorous analysis process, the authors' discussions and consensus, and the thick descriptions of Bupe\u0026acute;s narrations, grounded in the data, illustrate the authors' in-depth understanding of the experiences of youth mentoring in football in Zambia through the mentee\u0026acute;s eyes (Charmaz and Thornberg, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Tracy, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR73\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). Thereby extending and offering a novel perspective by providing a new understanding of the phenomenon based on Bupe\u0026acute;s experiences. This study has critical implications for practice and theory (Tracy and Hinrichs, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR74\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe participant: Bupe\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs mentioned in the methodology section, this study focuses on the peculiar accounts of one of the mentees, Bupe. His experiences and perceptions of his mentoring relationship tell a compelling story of how he benefited and how he experienced bullying initiated by his mentor and coach and perpetuated by his teammates, leading to him experiencing potential harm. While collecting data in the field, the first author conveniently recruited Bupe. He fitted the initial inclusion criteria. Thus, disadvantaged youth between the ages of 15 and 20 were in a mentoring relationship with an adult for at least one year. The first author had known Bupe for a long time before the interview, so rapport was established.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the time of the interview, Bupe was 20 years old, ambitious to receive support, and similarly wanted to pursue a career in football. He completed his secondary school education at a government school. He lived with his aunt and was in a mentoring relationship with his football coach for two years. Uncle Tony, his mentor, was 36 years old and had a college qualification. He was a professional football coach and mentored young people for 14 years. See the demographics of Bupe and his mentor in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. Uncle Tony's demographic information is included to contextualise Bupe\u0026acute;s experiences.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMentoring Relationship Pair (Mentor and Mentee Demographics)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e*Pseudonyms\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUncle Tony (Male Mentor)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBupe (Male Mentee)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge in years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge in years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEducation\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiploma (College)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEducation status\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinished grade 12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccupation\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProfessional football coach\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSchool Attended\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrivate and government\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMentoring experience (in years)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFamily status (living with)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuardian (aunt)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRelationship duration in years: \u003cb\u003e2 years\u003c/b\u003e, Location - Lusaka\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe Interview with Bupe\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn September 2021, the first author conducted an interview with Bupe in Lusaka, Zambia. The interview between the first author and the mentee was conversational, allowing for a more natural and engaging process and lasted two hours. It was conducted in the country's official language, English, although two local languages, Bemba and Nyanja, occasionally comprised the conversation. This flexibility made the conversation flow naturally. Questions were asked that allowed Bupe to share his lived experiences. For instance, please tell me, how did you become a mentee? Tell me about a specific mentoring relationship you have participated in. Probe: \u003cem\u003eHow has your experience been? How does it work?\u003c/em\u003e Can you please tell me about someone who has mentored or is mentoring you? Probe: \u003cem\u003eHow do you describe him/her?\u003c/em\u003e Please tell me about your life experiences before and after this mentorship.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe interview was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The first author is fluent in her native languages, Bemba and Nyanja, as well as English. She translated the few segments in the audio, in Bemba or Nyanja, into English, ensuring the translations closely conveyed the original meaning. Remember that, as a researcher and translator, her experience, education, and knowledge may influence her position, which can shape the translated text (Temple and Young, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR72\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAnalysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eCoding, a technique used in constant comparative and narrative analysis methods to study the data, was applied, which allowed the researchers to compare and see patterns in the data, categorise the data or narratives by events in Bupe\u0026acute;s mentoring relationship (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Efe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Glaser and Strauss, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1967\u003c/span\u003e; Dovetail Editorial Team, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The iterative constant comparative and narrative analysis allowed for a higher level of abstraction in conceptualising Bupe\u0026acute;s narratives of his experiences (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Efe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Pihlaja, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Applying some techniques central to narrative analysis, such as selecting the analytical model and narratives to analyse, identifying narrative blocks, coding narrative blocks and delving into the story structure, assisted in immersing in and refining the participant\u0026acute;s experiences to tell a clear and succinct narrative (Efe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; McLeod, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Combining the two approaches to analysis enhanced the depth and breadth of understanding of the mentee\u0026acute;s mentoring benefits and experiences of bullying and harm. For instance, during data analysis of Bupe\u0026acute;s narrations, we initially asked ourselves analytical questions, such as, \u0026ldquo;\u0026lsquo;What is this data a study of?\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo; (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e, p. 116). As we progressed, we asked questions like \u0026ldquo;\u0026lsquo;What is the story about?\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo; (Saldana, 2013, p. 133). This approach aided in providing more nuanced insights from the stories and in presenting findings in the form of narratives, presented in chronological order, while illustrating other narratives\u0026mdash;the complex context within which the stories of benefits and experiences of bullying and harm occurred (Efe, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Dovetail Editorial Team, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This eventually led to the co-construction of Bupe\u0026acute;s story of benefiting from and experiencing bullying and potential harm in his mentoring relationship, grounded in the data (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; McLeod, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). In telling Bupe\u0026acute;s story, excerpts from his responses (Dovetail Editorial Team, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) are used to support the findings in their original form, maintaining the meaning and authenticity of his experiences. To foster comprehension of findings, we have inserted words or phrases in square brackets in some quotes. We also use evidence from Bupe\u0026acute;s mentor sparingly to better understand the circumstances in which his experiences occurred.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe authors' openness and use of the memoing strategy during analysis facilitated the emergence of unexpected, sensitising concepts (Blumer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1954\u003c/span\u003e; Bowen, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e), such as the mentee's simultaneous experiences of benefits and bullying, which led to potential harm. This enhanced the credibility and depth of the findings presented in this study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAgainst All Odds: Bupe\u0026rsquo;s Journey of Hope, Determination, and Mentorship\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis case concerns Bupe, a 20-year-old male who had completed grade 12 with very good results a few years prior to the interview. However, he was still not in college or university due to a lack of financial resources to support his higher education. Bupe lost his parents at a young age, and his close relatives and extended family never committed to taking care of him after that. He has lived with different families, related and unrelated, in Zambia. \u0026ldquo;He's been living in a rejected atmosphere, where the relatives of his mum couldn't accept him as part of them\u0026rdquo;, said his coach and mentor. Consequently, Bupe has never had a permanent home to live in. Bupe himself, during interviews, also disclosed that he had shared his private information about losing his parents with his mentor. He told him that since losing his parents, he had been \u0026ldquo;moving from place to place \u0026hellip; not really having a place to live.\u0026rdquo; The mentor disclosed that Bupe\u0026acute;s life circumstances were challenging as he \u0026ldquo;[was] coming from a very frustrated background.\u0026rdquo; However, despite all the challenges that overwhelmed Bupe\u0026acute;s life, he remained focused on changing his situation. His coach and mentor described him as a \u0026ldquo;great [and] very responsible person, a very good boy \u0026hellip; a fast learner \u0026hellip; passionate and \u0026hellip; a dream chaser, who [others] can look up to, today\u0026rdquo; despite his passing through challenges. The mentor revealed that Bupe\u0026acute;s positive traits are what \u0026ldquo;encouraged [him] to be close to him because\u0026rdquo; he sensed that one day he would \u0026ldquo;be one of the greatest people in the world.\u0026rdquo; Bupe saw his mentor\u0026acute;s presence as a crucial contributing factor that helped him \u0026ldquo;pull through\u0026rdquo; many difficult situations as he navigated his daily challenges.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eDetermined to find a mentor\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBupe searched for a mentor after discussing his experiences with friends while working as a helper on building sites. As they chatted about future dreams, Bupe realised that he needed the guidance of an adult to set realistic goals, especially in realising his passion for football, but also equally important to help him overcome fear and nervousness amid the challenges. He detailed:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e[My friends were] talking about what they want to do in the future ... [But]...what... [they] were saying it didn't make sense because it wasn't realistic. So, I thought, \u0026lsquo;Why not find someone who can help me set realistic goals? ... I need someone to guide me on that path ... [also], this is exactly what I need in times when I am nervous \u0026hellip; When I am not sure if I can manage to pull through a difficult situation, I can have someone to guide me or to push me to achieve what I want ... [besides], for me, I wanted to go back to sport because I had such a huge passion for it. So, I thought, \u0026lsquo;no, I don't have anyone to guide me in sport ... you know, [in terms of] ... looking for purpose in my sports life, looking for guidance in my sports life \u0026hellip; looking for a way up, a way to the top, in the sense that \u0026hellip; I want to play professional football \u0026hellip;\u0026rsquo; So, that's how I first thought of looking for a mentor.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBupe eventually found and met his mentor, Uncle Tony, through his cousin, who was attending a football academy where he had shared his thoughts about finding adult support. His cousin introduced him to his coach, who admitted him to the academy and, by extension, became his mentor. They had known each other for two years at the time of the interviews, as previously mentioned.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBupe\u0026acute;s Positive Mentoring Experiences and Benefits\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBupe had benefited from his mentoring relationship in various ways, including socio-emotionally and psychologically. He also gained knowledge and life attitudes (life skills) and developed and improved athletic skills.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor instance, Bupe spoke about the encouragement and advice he received from his mentor when he struggled with thoughts of his past negative experiences, and he perceived their mentoring relationship positively. He declared that his mentoring relationship had \u0026ldquo;been nothing but a positive experience.\u0026rdquo; Where he learnt many things, including coping with specific negative thoughts, when he said, \u0026ldquo;he's taught me to move on from the past, and I feel that's what I have done.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMentoring, through emotional support, helped Bupe come to terms with and adapt to new, challenging situations. In one case, Bupe shared that he struggled to adjust to the new environment in the new home where he had to live after leaving the family he had lived with for a long time, because he was accused of doing something he did not do. As he shared:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere was a time when I moved out of the house I was staying in ... it was something related to electrical appliances, you know, missing in the house ... so I felt vulnerable ... When I mentioned to him the circumstances that led to me moving out and what followed after, he comforted me...\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn learning life attitudes and skills, Bupe portrayed the mentor's role as crucial and attributed most of his positive change to his efforts. He expressed how Uncle Tony motivated and influenced him to remain ambitious about his future football career by making him see the \u0026ldquo;bigger picture\u0026rdquo;. For example, he stated: \u0026ldquo;He sits me down and tells me important things that I feel I need to hear, like, \u0026lsquo;Where am I going to be playing in the next 2 years?\u0026rsquo; \u0026lsquo;Am I going to represent my national team, those sorts of things \u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLearning life skills was also evident when Bupe mentioned and elaborated on the specific life attitudes in which he had developed competence through mentoring.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUh...I\u0026rsquo;ve uh tolerance, discipline, confidence, composure...these are aspects of someone's personality, you know, if you teach someone to be composed, you know they will be ready for chaotic situations, even under pressure, they will be able to handle the situation well...\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough mentoring, Bupe learned to be reflective, not only about his behaviour and actions but also about his mentor\u0026acute;s advice, which helped him to be more receptive to critique from his mentor. For example, he spoke about how he felt when his coach shouted at him during training sessions and how that made him feel like he was \u0026ldquo;not doing anything right.\u0026rdquo; Nevertheless, he also acknowledged that he sometimes had \u0026ldquo;problems with listening to instructions.\u0026rdquo; Consequently, on reflection, he realised that he may not have done certain things appropriately or as expected by the coach, like when he said:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen you are off the pitch, you realise, \u0026lsquo;Oh, maybe I didn't trap the ball the way it was supposed to be trapped, I didn't pass the ball the way it was supposed to be passed,\u0026rsquo; so it's about shouting but in a productive way, not shouting to, you know...bring you down, but shouting to build you up.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe extract above illustrates that Bupe became more reflective in critiquing and learned from his mistakes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a detailed account below, Bupe touches on some of the \u0026ldquo;good things\u0026rdquo; Uncle Tony has helped him develop and enhance in developing his career prospects in football:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLet me start with the good things first. I am a better player, thanks to him [Uncle Tony]. I am a very versatile player; I play in almost any position... So, I feel [that he is] making me a versatile player [and] gives me a better opportunity to play for a bigger club. So, I would say versatility, number one, mentality, number two. [I] am more of a focused person now that he has taught me how to be. I mentioned shouting and scolding, those things build you up as a player, and that's what he has done. I am mentally focused. I don't let my opponents get the best of me... [Also]...hard work and commitment, he has taught me that. Discipline: discipline is very cardinal in football. I am a disciplined player because of him. So, those are just a few of the many things that he has taught me. I could go on and on because I have learnt a lot from him.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this excerpt, Bupe explicitly narrates the skills and competencies he learned that led to positive change in him and perceives them as \u0026ldquo;... prepar[ation]\u0026hellip; for the world, both inside and outside football.\u0026rdquo; Furthermore, he acknowledges that \u0026ldquo;football is a short career\u0026rdquo;. However, the skills and competencies learned are transferable and contribute to one's learning for life, as he asserted in the following statement: \u0026ldquo;... you are going there in the world if you maintain those things that you learn[ed], the skills you have attained, then you are set to go, and you are being mentored to be a better person.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBupe\u0026acute;s responses demonstrate that he accepted authority, was motivated, and was open to learning. I refer to when he acknowledged the need to be an active listener to learn from his mentor\u0026acute;s experience and expertise fully. He stated:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe\u0026acute;s [the coach] played professional football before, he knows the emotions that are tied to the match, you know, he knows the techniques that are supposed to be applied during training, so my job is to listen ... to learn and try my best to absorb all the information that he's giving me, that's the way it is.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe above quotes\u0026rsquo; narration sums up Bupe\u0026acute;s perceived positive mentoring experiences. They also reflect a strong mentor-mentee bond between Bupe and his mentor and coach, Uncle Tony.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBupe\u0026acute;s Unpleasant Circumstance\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike in other relationships, Bupe\u0026acute;s mentoring relationship was not void of challenges despite the generally positive experiences. He experienced challenges that led to his negative mentoring experiences, including breach of confidentiality and bullying. In this section, we recount the story of how Bupe experienced a breach of confidentiality, which led to bullying and, to some extent, harm in his mentoring relationship with Uncle Tony.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe mentor\u0026acute;s \u0026ldquo;very insensitive\u0026rdquo; actions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne particular challenge he experienced was learning how his mentor gossiped about him and made fun of his name to his teammates. Bupe started by disclosing that he had told his mentor about his other name used in official documents and that the mentor mocked his names to his teammates, an action he found careless:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLet me just make mention of this \u0026hellip; There was a time when I told him [mentor] about my name because there are other names that I use, uh, in official documents. So, about this \u0026hellip; there was a time, it was very insensitive for him to ridicule my name in front of everyone.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe mentor not only mocked Bupe\u0026acute;s name in his absence but also made public his name in the official documents, which Bupe regarded as private. \u0026ldquo;I talked about the name...thing, the ridiculing...I feel it was not right for him to blate out confidential information about myself.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis experience highlights the mentor's failure to maintain confidentiality, which led to bullying by his teammates. He stated that this inconsiderate action of his mentor made his teammates laugh at him and caused emotional pain. As he stated:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEveryone is laughing at you; you are also laughing on the outside, but inside, it hurts you so badly, and you want to talk about it, but you can\u0026acute;t, so those are just some of the challenges that I have had in my relationship with him as [my] mentor.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurthermore, when Bupe was asked how the actions of his mentor made him feel, he said:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Well, at first, I was very disappointed ... I was disappointed in him because things like this were supposed to be confidential. Uh, you know, mentioning my name to him, he was supposed to guard, you know, as a mentor, you are supposed to be a guardian. It's even in the name.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom this excerpt, Bupe, to a large extent, expected his mentor to keep the personal information, including his name, in the official documents that he had shared with him, but did not disclose to his teammates, confidential.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen he continued narrating how his mentor\u0026acute;s inappropriate action occurred:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere was a time when I left \u0026hellip; training \u0026hellip; for about a month, so when I went back, we were in the gym doing fitness and then one of my teammates shouts [out] at my surname, he goes like \u0026lsquo;Johnson!\u0026rsquo; So, I was like how do these guys know my surname because they only know me as [Bupe], and they shout out \u0026lsquo;Johnson?\u0026rsquo; So, [I] am confused. \u0026lsquo;How do these people know my name?\u0026rsquo; So, I go to my teammate, who is also my close friend [Chanda]. I ask him ati [saying], \u0026lsquo;Uh, what has been happening? How do these guys know my surname?\u0026rsquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the above extract, Bupe also reveals that hearing one of his teammates calling his surname loudly puzzled him. Bupe\u0026acute;s narration of what he was told had transpired in his absence suggests that he did not expect his teammates to know about his surname.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn trying to make meaning of the mentor\u0026acute;s action, Bupe questions his motive for making a mockery of his name to his teammates and, in so doing, revealing his personal information:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaybe he found it...funny to talk about my name even though I felt he should have kept it to himself ... So, I feel, maybe he just thought that it would be funny to talk about [my name] \u0026hellip; without considering how I would feel. He thought it would be funny.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the quote above, there is a contradiction, as he also wants to believe that his mentor\u0026acute;s action may not have been intentional, even though he still believes that the mentor should not have told his teammates about that particular information about him. He did not want his name or himself to be associated with the family name \u0026lsquo;Johnsons\u0026rsquo; because of his bad reputation in the country. Thus, his knowledge of his mentor's actions led to his distress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eTeammates Bullying\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Bupe, feeling distressed did not end with the mentor\u0026acute;s actions, but escalated into an ongoing challenge as his teammates started bullying him, resulting from the mentor\u0026acute;s mockery of his name. He revealed, \u0026ldquo;The coach said these things to my teammates, so even after he kept quiet after he forgot about it, my teammates continued ridiculing me.\u0026rdquo; Bupe recounted how \u0026ldquo;at first, it was hard to swallow,\u0026rdquo; such that \u0026ldquo;sometimes I would lose my temper.\u0026rdquo; In other attempts to deal with the bullying, he would say, \u0026ldquo;\u0026lsquo;Uh, what you are saying doesn't really make sense. You guys should really grow up. You are too old for this kind of humour.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe felt that his teammates insinuated him to be crooked. He described the manner of bullying and what happened:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI got used to the name-calling. Uh, \u0026lsquo;Johnson!\u0026rsquo; You know, you sense that there is a bit of sarcasm in the way they [teammates] say the name \u0026hellip; referring to you as part of the main family who are crooks. So, it\u0026acute;s indirectly calling you a crook ... Also\u0026hellip;people of my skin tone [biracial light skinned] are [said to be] notorious for being crooks ... fighting and whatnot.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs mentioned above, Bupe\u0026acute;s attempts to stop the victimisation seemed unsuccessful. Consequently, as the bullying from his teammates persisted, he had to acclimate himself to it with time and use cognitive adaptation to process this experience. He explained:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs time went by, I just learned to accept it when they called me ... I [had to] put it behind me because whew [expressing sigh in a deep breath]! There is nothing else you can do because when you lose your temper, you say things that you don't mean. So, it's just better to ignore and move on.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the above excerpt, Bupe discloses how challenging it was for him to deal with being bullied, to the point where he lost control and was tempted to lose his temper while trying to fight back. He also felt that he was helpless against the bullying and subsequently accepted living with the situation as a way of coping with it. Bupe also seems conscious of how a person may respond negatively verbally when they lose their temper. Something that he did not seem to enjoy doing. Realising this, he had to guard himself against losing his temper.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis adaptation to the situation might have involved suppressing negative emotions as a coping mechanism. However, pretending to be okay with the mockery, despite not feeling that way, could explain his mentor, Uncle Tony's, comment on Bupe\u0026acute;s emotional outbursts and rage on the pitch. Uncle Tony disclosed that \u0026ldquo;Bupe could fight on the pitch [with Emphasis, gesturing with fists], and leave the pitch emotionally just because of one or two small things which happen in sports.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBupe himself seems to confirm Uncle Tony\u0026acute;s narrations, as he stated, \u0026ldquo;I felt the sarcasm that they used to call my name [with, and that] set me off at first. I wasn't very happy.\u0026rdquo; Among other interpretations, this means that Bupe might no longer have wanted to share intimate information about himself with him, regardless of how it bothered him. This might have led him to harbour anger and resentment towards the mentor and the teammates, and might have triggered outbursts as described in Uncle Tony's quote above.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHoping confidentiality is maintained about other private information\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBupe expressed disappointment with his mentor\u0026acute;s insensitive action, which led to his teammate's ongoing bullying. More importantly, he hoped that his mentor had maintained confidentiality regarding other private matters he had shared. For example, he said, \u0026ldquo;For most of the things that I have told him, I haven't heard any negative feedback from other people \u0026hellip; which made me believe [that] he kept those things to himself.\u0026rdquo; This quote highlights Bupe\u0026rsquo;s uncertainty, insecurity and hope, suggesting that a breach of trust could discourage him from further opening up about his challenges. Bupe particularly emphasised the importance of keeping profoundly personal information, such as his struggles with homelessness and losing his parents.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFragile Relationship\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBupe acknowledges the mentor's positive impact on his life and career, but struggles with the conflicting feelings about the mentor's \"little bad\" actions that still affect him, as he \u0026ldquo;sometimes\u0026hellip;think about it, and it hurts a little.\u0026rdquo; When asked if he would address these issues with his mentor, Bupe hesitated, fearing it might harm their relationship. He declared, \u0026ldquo;I don't think that would sit well with him, and I think it would have a negative effect on the mentoring relationship.\u0026rdquo; He worries about being perceived as ungrateful, saying, \u0026ldquo;I [think] it would be unappreciative to tell him that,\u0026rdquo; despite believing it would be beneficial. He concludes that these issues hurt him but do not define his character. Bupe also draws inspiration from successful footballers like Sadio Man\u0026eacute;, emphasising that \u0026ldquo;Football is an equaliser\u0026rdquo; that can transform lives. Consequently, he believes football could also help him have a better future.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study examines the story of Bupe, a disadvantaged youth and mentee in FT, and offers insight into how he benefits from a mentoring relationship within a football setting. While simultaneously facing bullying, facilitated (conscious or unconscious) by his mentor, who is also his coach, resulting in emotional and psychological harm.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe many challenges that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face put them in a vulnerable position, wherein, in most cases, the possibility of being unsuccessful in what they do is high. Ultimately, the stressful circumstances prevent them from attaining a successful life. Consequently, facing all these adversities takes fortitude, proactive steps, setting realistic goals, and perseverance to navigate life's challenges successfully. Bupe´s journey has been one of fortitude. It confirms that even growing up under stressful circumstances does not mean one cannot be determined and successful, aligning with earlier studies (Evans, 2005; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Srikantaiah et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR69\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Despite facing numerous challenges, including the loss of his parents early in life and subsequent rejection from his extended family, he was determined to positively change his life course, and this study suggests identifying him as a “dream chaser.” For instance, Bupe, realising that he needed to set realistic life goals, took a proactive step in searching for a mentor to help him set his goals and navigate life's daily challenges. Mentorship, in many contexts, including sports, has been a crucial element in providing support, guidance, and social capital to help disadvantaged youth navigate challenges (Bloom et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1998\u003c/span\u003e; Pitney and Ehlers, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e; Author, 2024; Wagstaff and Parker, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR75\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe benefits of youth mentoring for mentees have been well documented in the literature. It has a broad positive impact on mentees, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who benefit in various ways, including socio-emotionally and psychologically. This is also true for Bupe´s mentoring experience, in which the support, in the form of encouragement and comfort, from his mentor helps him to cope with the emotional and mental challenges resulting from his being destitute, including not having a stable home. This finding highlights the crucial role of mentors in mitigating the struggles of young people facing emotional and psychological stress, and helping them cope with it (DeWit et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Hurd and Zimmermann, 2010; Lyman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Sapiro and Ward, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR65\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Author, 2024).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurther, mentoring is cardinal in developing athlete-specific skills and general life skills. The skills learned from the mentor, who is also a coach, contribute to the mentee/player´s career development and go a long way in developing and enhancing critical life skills (Bloom et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1998\u003c/span\u003e; Pitney and Ehlers, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e). Bupe's narrations attest to the above statement as he experienced empowerment. This kind of empowerment is perceived as a strategic intervention in the holistic development of an individual, preparing them for responsible citizenship and, ultimately, success in sport and beyond (Ekron et al, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Mentoring Through Athletics, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Morgan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Wagstaff and Parker, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR75\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, findings demonstrate how mentors can intentionally or unintentionally cause psychological harm to mentees, mainly when working with a group of youths, such as in a football academy. The mentee mentioned several times how “disappointed” and “hurt” he was due to his mentor´s actions. The mentor in this study may never have thought that his actions could harm his mentee and may not have intended to do so. However, the lack of observing boundaries and his careless attitude, which may have resulted from the power imbalance in the relationship, led him to reveal information that was confided in him. He may not have considered how his actions could lead to a constant battle of feelings of harm in his mentee. This finding aligns with literature that has consistently shown that mentors may not harm mentees on purpose but that mentors´ oppressive patterns of behaviour and lack of sound judgement, among others, may lead them to power misuse to the extent of breaching confidentiality and causing harm to mentees (Albright et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Author, 2025; Rhodes and DuBois, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Zilberstein and Spencer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR78\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). We are also compelled to point out that the mentor´s attitude and actions in this study may have been hugely influenced by the social and cultural context of Zambia, which is primarily patriarchal. Wagstaff and Parker (2022) have reported on how adults in African patriarchal societies often hold superior attitudes toward young people and show little regard for them. However, a mentor´s careless attitude and actions towards their mentee devastate their mental well-being. Therefore, mentors have the responsibility to support, guide, and act as a protector, creating an environment where mentees feel completely safe and secure. This makes them hopeful of rising above their daily challenges.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this case, the mentee dealt with the situation ineffectively without the mentor's support, learning to accept it even though it “hurt”. To the detriment of his personal and career development, as a result of continued and increased traumatic mental stress. DiYanni (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e, para. 3) reports that bullying has a detrimental impact in that it can lead to “physical and psychological suffering.” Among other consequences of bullying are bad temper, nervousness, feeling low and left-out, loneliness and helplessness. Bupe experienced some of these effects, as evidenced by his mention that he would sometimes lose his temper when bullied. Also, he felt helpless and hopeless when he mentioned that he had to accept being mocked because there was “nothing else” he could do to stop it. Mentees' experiences of helplessness and hopelessness are often overlooked in team bullying; the chances of the bullied taking themselves out of the bullying circle are almost impossible without intervention from authority or a coach (Author, 2025; Ríos et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR62\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story of Bupe demonstrates that the situation of bullying in football may be more devastating for youths from disadvantaged backgrounds with no proper parental or familial support. For instance, unlike Ríos et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR62\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), who reported that victims of bullying in their study could report their bullies to their mentors and that parents at home ‘picked up’ that something was bothering their children, which they later discovered that they were being bullied by their teammates and in supporting their children, they approached the coaches to address the issue. The situation of Bupe is deeply concerning because he could not report the bullies or the bullying situation to his mentor, as he was the initiator. Additionally, Bupe might not have had adults in his home who were close to him to identify what was bothering him and support him accordingly. This scenario illustrates how Bupe was entirely dependent on himself to find a solution to his predicament. To that end, attachment theory literature cautions mentors, as secondary attachment figures, to be creators of safe spaces in which the mentees can feel protected and encouraged to problem solve and develop crucial socio-emotional competencies, which may lead to better management of stress and contribute to overall personal and career skills development (Austin et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; DuBois et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the findings indicate, Bupe questioned why the mentor shared his personal information, as he thought that perhaps the mentor found speaking about his name to his teammates amusing, which could indicate a questionable level of trust leading to a fragile relationship. Literature maintains that trust is the foundation of any mentoring relationship, and bringing it into disrepute compromises the relationship processes (DuBois et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Hagler et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Rhodes et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). Our findings suggest that one potential unintended action from a mentor can tarnish their ‘good’ name and cause damage to the smooth processes of a mentoring relationship. As the mentee´s trust is fragile, mistrust becomes the order of the day in the relationship, leading to disagreements and dysfunction or ending the mentorship.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this study, the mentee may not have ended the relationship despite feeling hurt by the actions of his mentor and teammates, fearing that it would jeopardise his professional football career aspirations. Despite his hostile environment, he had to hold on to the prospect of his future career; he had to suppress his mental well-being to achieve his goal. Mainly because, as some researchers, such as Esson (2016), Morgan et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), and a coach Mwila (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), have reported that many disadvantaged youths believe that through football, their lives can change for the better. Nonetheless, sacrificing mental health for career prospects in sports could exacerbate mental distress and harm for youths from disadvantaged backgrounds (Steingard, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR70\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). To this end, findings illustrate how coaches´ inconsiderate behaviours and actions can harm a young person psychologically, to the detriment of their football career and a better life.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, this study highlights that youth mentoring presents numerous challenges, particularly when enacted informally. This is evident for the mentors who have a huge responsibility to support the disadvantaged youth's growth. We found in this study that Bupe benefited from the better, but also experienced harm due to insensitive actions from the mentor. Besides, this study illustrates how mentees place a high sense of responsibility on their mentors to hold their private information sensitively. Thus, we recommend that even in informal settings, policy and practice should address the mentor knowledge gap by offering training and establishing points of contact in governmental and non-governmental institutions that focus on youth mentoring. Football academies should also provide support to coaches in the form of skills training and mentoring informed by ethical principles embedded in counselling professions, such as social work, psychology, and teaching. This support should include addressing the challenging behaviour of mentees, encouraging mentors to reflect on their attitudes and behaviours towards their mentees, and managing relationships. Mentors should cultivate better management of sensitive information by exercising empathy and displaying a non-judgmental attitude. This fosters open communication and trustful relationships, which provides a safe atmosphere and encourages mentees to share personal information.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec24\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eLimitations\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA key limitation of this study lies in its reliance on a single case, Bupe’s personal narrative, which, while rich in depth and insight, cannot be assumed to represent the broader population of youth mentees (Charmaz, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Margarella, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). As it is typical in qualitative research, the findings are not intended to be statistically generalisable. The use of purposive theoretical sampling was deliberate, focusing on Bupe's experiences within the specific cultural and social context of youth mentoring in Zambian team sports. Consequently, the findings may only be transferable to mentoring practices in similar social and cultural contexts at the reader's discretion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile Bupe’s story powerfully illustrates both the positive and harmful dynamics that can emerge in mentoring relationships, particularly how a mentee can simultaneously benefit from guidance and be vulnerable to bullying, leading to potential emotional and psychological harm, these experiences are inherently subjective. Thus, the study provides an in-depth, contextualised understanding rather than broad conclusions. Nonetheless, such narratives are essential for illuminating the nuanced emotional and psychological landscapes that quantitative approaches may overlook (Margevičiūtė, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec25\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStatement of publication overlap\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs mentioned in the introduction and methodology sections, this publication is based on my PhD dissertation, which provided the foundational research for this publication. Therefore, certain sections, including the research context, methodological framework, and participant quotations, may be similar to those in my dissertation, as they are essential to accurately represent the research setting and data. These overlaps are typical when disseminating comprehensive research findings across multiple publications. Though the overarching research framework is consistent with my dissertation, this article offers a more in-depth analysis of [category B of the findings chapter], thereby contributing new insights to the field of youth mentoring and sport. All sections derived from my dissertation are appropriately referenced, and any overlaps are justified by the need to maintain consistency and accuracy in presenting the research findings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec26\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eData availability statement\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to ethical reasons. However, the interview transcripts are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, and subject to the participants\u0026apos; consent.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthor contributions\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMMW: project administration, investigation, data curation, conceptualisation, methodology, initial data analysis, formal analysis, writing-original draft, writing-review and editing and funding acquisition. EDM: methodology, formal analysis, writing-review and editing, and assisting in resolving questions. All authors approved the final version of the article.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompeting interests\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no conflict of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical statement\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study received ethical approval from the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS) at the University of Bayreuth on June 18, 2021, and was confirmed by the BIGSAS Executive Committee on June 23, 2021. No formal approval number was assigned. The study was conducted in accordance with the university\u0026rsquo;s ethical guidelines and adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for research involving human subjects. The research process was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Dr Iris Clemens, ensuring compliance with institutional and international ethical standards for human research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInformed consent\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeing a grounded theory study, the entire research data was collected between the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2023. All participants were informed about the aims and purpose of the study, as well as the procedures involved. Participants were informed about and agreed to voluntary participation; they were assured of the confidentiality and anonymity of their data. Participants were interviewed in person only after they had signed the informed consent form.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditional information\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and requests for materials should be addressed to M. M. W.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFunding\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no external funding.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbderrahmane A (2022) Young African footballers: going for gold but smuggled for cash. ENACT Africa. https://enactafrica.org/enact-observer/young-african-footballers-going-for-gold-but-smuggled-for-cash Accessed 18 Mar 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlbright JN, Hurd NM, Hussain SB (2017). Applying a social justice lens to youth mentoring: a review of the literature and recommendations for practice. American Journal of Community Psychology 59(3\u0026ndash;4):363\u0026ndash;381. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12143\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAustin LJ, Parnes MF, Jarjoura GR, Keller TE, Herrera C, Tanyu M, Schwartz SEO (2020) Connecting youth: the role of mentoring approach. 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DOI:10.1177/1077800410383121.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTracy SJ, Hinrichs MM (2017) Big tent criteria for qualitative quality. The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods:1-10. DOI: 10.1002/9781118901731.iecrm0016 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWagstaff M, Parker A (2020) Youth, \u0026ldquo;waithood,\u0026rdquo; and social change: sport, mentoring, and empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Sport for Development 9(1):18\u0026ndash;31. https://jsfd.org/2021/02/01/youth-waithood-and-social-change-sport-mentoring-and-empowerment-in-sub-saharan-africa/ \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWimpenny P, Gass J (2000) Interviewing in phenomenology and grounded theory: Is there a difference? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 31(6):1485\u0026ndash;1492. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01431.x \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorld Medical Association (nd). The World Medical Association-WMA Declaration of Helsinki \u0026ndash; Ethical principles for medical research involving human participants. https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki/ Accessed 29 Dec 2020\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZilberstein K, Spencer R (2014) Breaking bad: an attachment perspective on youth mentoring relationship closures. Child \u0026amp; Family Social Work 22(1):67\u0026ndash;76. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12197\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Mentoring, Confidentiality, Team bullying, Mental health, Football, Africa","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7837315/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7837315/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis article tells the story of a young, ambitious footballer named Bupe, who is in a mentorship with his coach in Zambia. A semi-structured in-depth interview aided in exploring the mentee\u0026acute;s experiences. This study employs narrative and grounded theory approaches to highlight both the benefits and the harmful experiences associated with football coaching. Findings reveal that Bupe substantially benefited from the relationship but also experienced a breach of confidentiality, and teammate\u0026acute;s perpetual bullying instigated by the mentor, potentially leading to emotional and psychological harm. The mentor violated Bupe`s trust, creating a challenging atmosphere. This study illustrates that cultural values hindered Bupe from addressing this experience, leading to recommendations for mentoring best practices to prevent harm and foster positive relationships.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"“I am a better player, thanks to him” - “You are laughing on the outside, but inside, it hurts you so badly:” The double-edged sword of mentoring in sport","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-10 22:11:37","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7837315/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"3add99bd-c622-41a2-8c67-5289735ce4c5","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 10th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":57676549,"name":"Humanities/Cultural and media studies"},{"id":57676550,"name":"Social science/Cultural and media studies"},{"id":57676551,"name":"Social science/Education"},{"id":57676552,"name":"Biological sciences/Psychology"},{"id":57676553,"name":"Social science/Psychology"},{"id":57676554,"name":"Humanities/Religion"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-16T14:09:41+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-10 22:11:37","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7837315","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7837315","identity":"rs-7837315","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}