Launched in 2020, Voice in Sport™ (VIS) is a resource for female athletes to openly discuss everything from training to self-esteem, leadership, nutrition, life after sport, and more. Among the podcasts produced by VIS are discussions about concussions, healthy sleep habits, disordered eating, and handling the rigors of competition. VIS also engages in advocacy work.
“We think it’s really important that young athletes have access to a diverse set of role models,” said Alexandra Suarez, platform manager for VIS. “What we’ve done is created the first global digital sport mentoring platform, which connects professional and current athletes with younger athletes. From there, we brought on teams and clubs.”
The VIS mentoring program enables young athletes to connect with established names in sports, like Allyson Felix, for sessions. All mentors are able to individually set their rates for mentoring sessions, so rates vary based on who is hosting a session.
“Separately, we’re offering a lot of free sessions because of our partnership with the WNBA Changemakers,” said Suarez. “They’re sponsoring 50,000 athletes with premium memberships and unlocking 144 mentorship sessions for free over the next year.”
Among the WNBA players available for mentoring are Aliyah Boston, Alysha Clark, Ariel Atkins, Betnijah Laney, and Nneka Ogwumike. These will be group sessions, such as for an AAU or club team. Some mentors have discussed dealing with an injury such as a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which numerous women’s basketball players have experienced.
In a recent session, Atkins spoke about building confidence and avoiding comparison. “She [described] to the athletes times in her life where she didn’t feel as confident as she does now, and I think the vulnerability is really inspiring for young athletes to see—[that] even the pros experience hardships and lack of confidence in their careers,” said Suarez.
Any athlete can join for free and free content is available on the VIS website (voiceinsport.com). There is also paid membership ($2 per month), which gives athletes broader access. Those individuals can view mentor profiles and request a one-on-one session or group sessions.
“We emphasize that mentors don’t have to solve each problem, but we encourage them open up, empathize, and share their journeys,” Suarez said. “For the younger athletes who are getting mentored, we hope that they will feel like they have somebody who believes in them and their success.”