“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

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.