A Super Bowl Spotlight on Mentorship

During Super Bowl LX in 2026, the National Football League (NFL) aired a powerful 60-second commercial titled Champion, a heartwarming tribute to youth coaches and the lasting power of mentorship (National Football League [NFL], 2026). The spot, created by agency 72andSunny LA, features a young boy giving a fiery pep talk to an audience of superhero action figures. Spider-Man, Optimus Prime, and The Thing line up as his “team.” What makes the scene especially moving is that the boy is mimicking a real locker-room speech delivered by his coach. As his voice builds to a crescendo, he repeats the words, “I am a champion,” a message first given to him by his mentor. The ad closes with the line, “Belief is a superpower. Thank you, coaches.”

Zach Hilder, Chief Creative Officer at 72andSunny, explained, “For so many kids, volunteer coaches are the first people outside their family who truly believe in them. They teach you how to push through doubt, how to trust yourself, how to keep going when things get hard” (Conway, 2026). The message is clear: coaching and mentorship matter far beyond the game.

Social Learning in Real Time

Psychologist Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory offers a framework for understanding the ad’s message. Children often learn behaviors by observing and modeling the actions of trusted adults (Bandura, 1977). In Champion, the boy’s reenactment of his coach’s speech is a vivid example of observational learning. He does not just hear the words; he internalizes them, replays them, and applies them to his own context.

Bandura (1997) emphasized self-efficacy, one’s belief in their ability to succeed, as a vital piece of motivation and behavior. When the NFL proclaims that “belief is a superpower,” it aligns with this concept. Research shows that youth with strong self-efficacy are more likely to persevere through challenges and achieve personal goals (Tsang et al., 2012). In the ad, that belief begins with a coach who sees something in a child and says so out loud.

Mentors Spark Motivation

The ad’s message resonates beyond the football field. NFL Chief Marketing Officer Tim Ellis noted, “Great coaches don’t just build better athletes… they help inspire and build better human beings… When kids are seen, recognized, and believed in, it’s a superpower” (Fisher, 2026). The child’s affirmation, “I am a champion,” reflects what psychology calls internalized expectation. When youth absorb belief from a mentor, they are more likely to adopt those beliefs as their own (Bandura, 1997).

Recent studies affirm this dynamic. Lee et al. (2022) found that adolescents with high-quality mentoring relationships showed significantly greater self-efficacy than peers with weaker mentor bonds. Notably, younger students experienced the strongest gains in confidence. The study emphasized that early mentorship, especially for low-income youth, can powerfully boost students’ belief in themselves and their potential.

In youth sports, coach-athlete relationships have also been shown to increase confidence, motivation, and academic performance (Gould & Carson, 2008). When a trusted adult believes in a child’s capacity to succeed, it strengthens that child’s own belief system, which in turn supports resilience and goal pursuit.

Research Confirms: Mentorship Lasts

The benefits of mentorship are not temporary. A 30-year longitudinal study from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America found that mentored children were more likely to attend college and earn higher wages later in life (Bell & Petkova, 2024). Mentorship, whether from a coach, teacher, or community leader, was described as one of the most cost-effective strategies for improving educational and economic outcomes.

A recent study by Schenk et al. (2025) found that regular support from university student mentors significantly enhanced secondary school students’ autonomous motivation and engagement. Mentees reported feeling more inspired and capable of reaching their goals, attributing this to the encouragement and role modeling they received, findings that align closely with Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Beyond the Field

While Champion celebrates sports mentorship, the concept applies across domains. In my doctoral research on first-generation college students in online programs, participants consistently emphasized the role of mentors and supportive peer communities in boosting motivation and a sense of belonging (Henlon, 2025). One student shared, “Seeing someone like me succeed made me believe I could finish.” That belief, planted by a mentor or role model, is powerful.

Bandura (1977) described this as vicarious experience. When young people see others like them succeed, they begin to believe they can too. This holds true in classrooms, community programs, and on football fields.

A Call to Action

The NFL’s ad is more than a thank-you. It is a call to recognize the mentors who helped us, and to become one for someone else. Who believed in you when you needed it most? If you can, thank them. And then ask yourself how you can pass that belief on. Whether you volunteer as a mentor, coach, tutor, or simply offer encouragement to a young person in your life, your words may echo long after you say them.

As the NFL reminds us, belief is a superpower. The mentors who pass it on are the real champions.

About the Author

Dr. Jessica Henlon is an educational psychologist, speaker, and consultant with over two decades of experience in higher education, student engagement, and purpose-driven leadership. She is the founder of Dr. Jessica Henlon Consulting Co. and a regular contributor to Florida National News. Her research and work center on advancing equity and belonging, particularly for first-generation and online learners. Her doctoral dissertation explored the role of mentorship in building motivation and confidence among underrepresented students.

References

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.

Bell, A., & Petkova, N. (2024). The long-term impacts of mentors: Evidence from experimental and administrative data (Working paper). Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. https://www.bbbs.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Long-Term-Impacts-of-Mentors.pdf

Conway, B. (2026, February 8). Boy coaches Spider-Man and other superheroes in NFL’s motivational ode to mentorship. Little Black Book Online. https://lbbonline.com/news/nfl-super-bowl-ad-spider-man-coaching

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7

Fisher, J. (2026, February 9). Super Bowl commercial salutes the power of youth football coaches. High School Football America. https://highschoolfootballamerica.com/super-bowl-commercial-salutes-the-power-of-youth-football-coaches/

Gould, D., & Carson, S. (2008). Life skills development through sport: Current status and future directions. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1(1), 58–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/17509840701834573

Henlon, J. (2025). Exploring the learning experiences of online first-generation college students participating in virtual extracurricular activities (Publication No. 32114979) [Doctoral dissertation, Capella University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.

Lee, J., Allen, J., Lim, H., Choi, G., & Jung, J. (2022). The moderating effect of age on low-income students’ relationships with mentors and their self-efficacy since COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 800385. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.800385

National Football League (NFL). (2026, February 8). Champion – NFL Super Bowl LX commercial [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Pjw9BWzFk

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

Schenk, L., de Meijer, L., & Severiens, S. (2025). Mentoring for motivation: A mixed-method study on a school-based mentoring program for secondary school students. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 33(5), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2025.2575964

Tsang, S. K., Hui, E. K., & Law, B. C. (2012). Self-efficacy as a positive youth development construct: A conceptual review. The Scientific World Journal, 2012, Article 452327. https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/452327