A relatively new phenomenon is helping young people make better plans for the future.

By Bev Davis/REGISTER-HERALD SENIOR EDITOR

Josiah Smith, a professional mentor with Life Strategies in Beckley, coaches teens like Jimmy Barton of Beckley as they plan for the transition from high school to college. The objectivity provided by a mentor can help young people anticipate the life changes they are facing and be better prepared to focus on their goals while managing their time and balancing their lives. (Rick Barbero/The Register-Herald)

"Coaching," - the term for professional mentoring - provides one-on-one sessions in which high school students process plans for college or in which college graduates work through entering plans for a career.

"Over the last five years, the coaching field has exploded," said Josiah Smith a coach at Life Strategies in Beckley.

Unlike counseling, which delves into psychotherapy and problem-solving that may have roots in past experiences, coaching takes a forward-looking approach geared to helping young people sort through important issues they will face in the near future, Smith said.

"A high school student about to leave for college where he or she will be in charge of their time and their responsibilities may not have a realistic expectation of what that will involve in terms of time management and life balance," Smith said. "Coaches help them gain a clearer vision of what this new role will be like and help them develop some strategies for being successful."

Students who have had little responsibility at home may find themselves blown off course on a college campus where they are solely responsible for their class schedules and assignments.

"There won't be anyone telling them what to do. I think a lot of students get caught up in the social life of college to the extent they lose sight of why they're at college in the first place. If we can help them anticipate the danger of that and help them develop clear goals for what they want to accomplish, it will be easier for them to remain focused on those goals," Smith said.

The vast majority of youths do not have those clear directives, he added.

"Many young people have never had to think about life balance. They don't realize they need to plan a schedule that enables them to meet their class requirements, manage their leisure time well and to make sure they take care of themselves physically by getting enough sleep and exercise," Smith said.

The college graduate, likewise, faces a new arena of responsibilities and challenges.

"It's a time of transition, and we encourage clients to gain a definite perspective of their foundation and direction in which they want to start moving. They need to make sure they are pursuing things that will move them in the direction of achieving their goals," Smith said.

The graduate who has been in control of his time during college will now have to adjust to meeting the demands of an employee and the boundaries of the career they have chosen.

"They will need to know more than what they've learned from textbooks. They need to develop a good work ethic and learn how to anticipate the practical things like being on time for work and being willing to do little jobs that need to be done as part of a team effort on the job," Smith said.

Although parents try to prepare their children for these changing roles, the resource of coaching can provide the benefit of objectivity.

"We may coach a teen about the same kinds of things their parents would, but sometimes a young person will listen more closely to a different voice and to someone who is closer to their age. Hiring a coach gives parents a way to protect their investment of time, love and energy they've already put into these students. It's one more way to get them off to a good start in life once they leave home," Smith said.

- E-mail: bdavis@register-herald.com