Common Ground: A New Athlete Mentor Partnership Launches Across the Commonwealth
- Sarah McQuade
- Feb 6
- 3 min read
A Collaborative Commitment to Supporting Athletes as People, Not Just Performers
This month, Commonwealth Sport, in partnership with e.t.c coaching consultants, officially launched Common Ground – the Athlete Mentor Programme, a pioneering initiative designed to support Commonwealth athletes through identity, wellbeing, transition, and life beyond the field of play.
Common Ground represents a significant step forward in athlete-centred development: a programme built with athletes, for athletes, and grounded in the belief that high-performance support must extend beyond competition cycles and medal moments.
The Vision: Athletes Supported as People First
The programme was formally opened through a welcome webinar led by Brendan Williams, Chair of the Athlete Advisory Commission.
In his address, Brendan articulated the core philosophy behind Common Ground:
Athletes should not only be celebrated for their achievements, but actively supported as whole people — before, during, and after their sporting careers.
This people-first vision became the catalyst for Common Ground and continues to shape its intent, design, and delivery.
The Welcome Webinar: A Launchpad, Not a One-off
The welcome webinar marked more than a formal introduction — it served as the launchpad for a 10-month mentor development journey designed to prepare athlete mentors for the responsibility, complexity, and impact of the role.
The pathway is intentionally front-loaded with mentor development, ensuring that participants first build a shared foundation in effective, ethical, and relationship-centred mentoring. Through structured online learning and live, facilitated webinars, mentors are supported to develop the skills, confidence, and reflective capacity needed to mentor well.
Only after this developmental phase are mentors paired with athletes, moving into applied mentoring practice — bringing learning to life in real conversations, at real moments, with real people.
A Strategic Partnership in Action
Common Ground has been co-designed and is being delivered through a close partnership between Commonwealth Sport and e.t.c coaching consultants — combining Commonwealth Sport’s athlete strategy and global reach with e.t.c’s long-standing expertise in mentoring, coach development, and values-led learning design.
The programme is led on behalf of Commonwealth Sport by Mikel Thomas, Athlete Strategy and Engagement Manager, whose leadership has been central to shaping both the intent and structure of the pathway.
e.t.c coaching consultants bring their experience of delivering mentor development across international sport, education, and leadership contexts — supporting athlete mentors not simply to have conversations, but to mentor with purpose, care, and clarity.
Mentoring in Context: Supporting Athletes Through Glasgow and Beyond
As mentors move into the applied phase of the programme, they will be paired with athletes to offer needs-led support in the lead-up to, during, and following the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
This phase recognises that the Games experience is rarely a single moment — it is a sequence of transitions that can include anticipation, pressure, reflection, identity shifts, and re-orientation afterwards. Athlete mentors are supported to adapt their presence and conversations to what is most helpful for their mentee at different points in time.
Athletes Giving Back to Athletes
At the heart of Common Ground is the generosity of the athlete mentors themselves.
By choosing to invest their time, experience, and insight, they are contributing to something bigger than individual success — strengthening connection, belonging, and continuity across the Commonwealth athlete community.
Their lived experience of transition, wellbeing, identity change, and life beyond sport is not treated as an afterthought, but as a vital source of wisdom for the next generation.
Looking ahead
Common Ground marks the beginning of a longer-term commitment by Commonwealth Sport to embed mentoring as a core pillar of athlete support — and to do so through trusted, values-aligned partnerships.
As the programme unfolds over the coming months, it will continue to be shaped by athlete voice, reflective practice, and collaboration — ensuring that support extends well beyond the field of play.
This is not just a programme launch. It is the foundation for a mentoring culture across the Commonwealth.
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