From Matilda to Mentor – Janine McPhee is still directing the play.

Pictured here, Janine mentoring one of her many apprentices in the field.

WPC Group National Industry Engagement Manager Janine McPhee is a member of a highly exclusive club – she is one of only 224 women to pull on the jersey of the Matildas, the Australian women’s soccer team.

Janine was the 45th person to pull on the storied Australian jersey, debuting against Canada in the 1987 4th Women's World Invitational Tournament in Taiwan, and was selected for the 1988 FIFA Pilot World Cup in China.  Janine made her mark as an attacking defender midfielder at a time when the women’s game was transitioning to the high-performance culture and regular international fixtures which is the foundation of the 2023 Women’s World Cup currently captivating Australia.

Reflecting on her playing days, Janine said, “I have been blessed. We all want to turn our passion into a career. Although it required a lot of sacrifice, to have the opportunity to fully pursue my goals and focus on being the best player I could be, and to be part of a unique tradition, was a gift.”  

“Being part of an elite sporting team was and is a privilege. Working day-in and day-out in a high-performance environment teaches you so many things: discipline in training; focus and resilience in the face of distraction; problem-solving under pressure; and reframing setbacks such as injuries as an opportunity for growth.”

Janine, who has worked with WPC Group for more than a decade, notes there are many skills and habits she developed while being coached as an elite athlete which informs her current mentoring work at WPC Group.

“There are a number of similarities between being mentored as an elite athlete and mentoring apprentices. The challenge for all of us, whether as athletes or as apprentice and trainees, is how can we develop our raw talents and abilities into consistent performance?

“Everyone you meet has rare and raw talents. Experience teaches you that natural talent can take you so far, but it’s application and discipline that drive sustained performance.”

“They say culture is what you do when no-one is looking. Well, it’s in those moments when team connection is built. Team building is about connecting over shared purpose and shared experience. The reason the best teams appear to have intuitive connection is because of the familiarity honed by practising and training together.”

This is why Janine rates the connections and friendships forged and retained from her playing days as just as important as her on-field performances. “It’s the people you meet along the way, the experiences shared – reconnecting with so many former Matildas and coaches over the past month has been joyous.”

Although she has mentored and supported more than her fair share of successful apprentices and trainees during her career as a mentor at WPC Group, with characteristic humility, Janine is quick to point out that success is a team effort, and few compelling achievements are achieved alone.

“Mentoring is the key to success.  I have been lucky to have so many mentors, and so many people invested in helping me achieve my goals and teaching me what I needed to know to succeed. 

“My job is about helping people reach their potential. So many young people I meet have energy and enthusiasm, and are looking for an opportunity to prove their ability and to achieve and succeed.”

“I love my work with apprentices and trainees because, every day, I connect with young people who want to be challenged, and who challenge me to figure out the best way to support and motivate them to unlock their potential.”

Janine draws on her skills and experience to ensure our apprentices and trainees develop productive habits during a formative period of the career – a role she takes seriously and continues to find humbling and rewarding.

“We all know how powerful it is to have someone in your corner, encouraging us and challenging us to improve and valuing our effort. Sometimes, the apprentices and trainees I mentor need to be challenged, sometimes they need to be supported, and sometimes they just need to be heard.”

Janine has coached and mentored young people in different theatres of life for many years. She says the best experience is when people surprise you, when you realise you have to lift your game to keep up with what their journey demands.

From WPC’s perspective, we hope Janine continues to successfully focus the energies of our apprentices and trainees for many more years to come. Go, Matildas!

To learn more about how you can work with Janine McPhee and our team to bring enthusiastic, high-performing individuals into your organisation, contact WPC Group today.