Mitigating Systemic Barriers to Career Advancement for Women in Collegiate Athletics: The Impact of External Compensated Mentorship
Location
PARB 128 (First Floor)
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
Title: Mitigating Systemic Barriers to Career Advancement for Women in Collegiate Athletics: The Impact of External Compensated Mentorship
Although women’s opportunities to participate in collegiate athletics have increased since the passage of Title IX, opportunities to lead as athletic directors have dropped significantly. One theory is that women applying for administrative positions in athletics require more extensive networks of mentors in competitive hiring searches. Therefore, women may seek external mentors in various ways, even to the point of financially paying “external compensated mentors” to promote their careers. This qualitative phenomenological study uses social capital theory to investigate the perceptions of fifteen college athletics administrators and mentors concerning the impact of external compensated mentors on career advancement for women. Benefits to compensated mentorship included honesty and critique without fear, greater frequency and intentionality in contact time, enhanced access to elite networks and search firms, and the leveraging of intersectional identities for job opportunities. Disadvantages included a lack of authenticity in the relationship, the intrusion of less-qualified mentors motivated by financial gain, and financial barriers which could limit access for women and other underrepresented individuals. Implications for practice include the need for athletics departments to reassess hiring practices, the evolving impacts of football and fundraising, and the lack of diversity and quality in current mentorship networks.
Keywords
athletics, compensated mentors, leadership, mentoring, social capital
Professional Bio
Kelly Britsky graduated in August 2022 with a Doctorate of Higher Education Leadership and Practice degree from the University of North Georgia. Her research investigates equity, mentoring, and leadership in college athletics administration. As a college basketball and volleyball coach Dr. Britsky has over 25 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics and higher education as a college basketball, softball and volleyball coach, a director of compliance, senior woman administrator and as an instructor for undergraduate and graduate teacher education and physical education coursework.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Britsky, Kelly, "Mitigating Systemic Barriers to Career Advancement for Women in Collegiate Athletics: The Impact of External Compensated Mentorship" (2022). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 11.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2022/2022/11
Mitigating Systemic Barriers to Career Advancement for Women in Collegiate Athletics: The Impact of External Compensated Mentorship
PARB 128 (First Floor)
Title: Mitigating Systemic Barriers to Career Advancement for Women in Collegiate Athletics: The Impact of External Compensated Mentorship
Although women’s opportunities to participate in collegiate athletics have increased since the passage of Title IX, opportunities to lead as athletic directors have dropped significantly. One theory is that women applying for administrative positions in athletics require more extensive networks of mentors in competitive hiring searches. Therefore, women may seek external mentors in various ways, even to the point of financially paying “external compensated mentors” to promote their careers. This qualitative phenomenological study uses social capital theory to investigate the perceptions of fifteen college athletics administrators and mentors concerning the impact of external compensated mentors on career advancement for women. Benefits to compensated mentorship included honesty and critique without fear, greater frequency and intentionality in contact time, enhanced access to elite networks and search firms, and the leveraging of intersectional identities for job opportunities. Disadvantages included a lack of authenticity in the relationship, the intrusion of less-qualified mentors motivated by financial gain, and financial barriers which could limit access for women and other underrepresented individuals. Implications for practice include the need for athletics departments to reassess hiring practices, the evolving impacts of football and fundraising, and the lack of diversity and quality in current mentorship networks.
