ASC grant getting mentors on track

Dianne Huxley knows first-hand the positive impact mentorship can have for athletics coaches and says an Australian Sports Commission (ASC) grant is helping develop the next generation of mentors.

After running a successful high performance coaching program for women, Australian Athletics wanted to ensure their learnings could be shared with community and club level coaches.

“I saw such amazing growth and opportunities afforded to the women who had been mentored by some of Australian Athletics most experienced coaches,” Huxley, the National Performance Pathway Lead for coaching, said. “I wanted to pay it forward”.

Her passion saw Australian Athletics receive a Women Leaders in Sport (WLIS) organisation grant to fund a project called, Reducing Barriers for Women Coaches in Australian Athletics through Mentorship.

A diverse group of women aged 18 to 48 are entering the final two months of the program, which sees seven mentor coaches paired with 13 mentee coaches.

“Some of these women are still at school and just starting their coaching journey and some are very experienced, hailing from both city and regional areas across five states.”

The year-long program has included workshops, engagements at various competitions, monthly check-ins and development discussions.

The next round of WLIS organisation grants are now open with $170,000 in funding available.

Managed by the ASC and funded by the Australian Government through the Office for Sport, eligible sporting organisations can apply for grants of up to $15,000 to undertake projects that address systemic and cultural barriers for women leaders in sport.

Huxley strongly encourages organisations to apply.

“The rewards of seeing so many people benefit and improve our sport from community level to high performance has been well and truly worth it”.

“As a result of receiving the WLIS grant we can continue to build the skills, pathways and leadership opportunities for women coaches through 2025 and beyond”, she said.

Applications for WLIS organisation grants are now open and close on Monday 7 April 2025.

For more information, or to apply, visit the Women Leaders in Sport page.