Higher Education Students
OBJECTIVE This study looked at the leadership practices of student athletes.
METHODOLOGY The student athletes that participated held formal athletic leadership positions as members of a Student Athlete Advisory Committee at a Division IA large public research university in the southeast region of the United States. Thirteen participated, representing about 40 percent of the SAAC, by completing the Student version of the Leadership Practices Inventory. Instructions for the S-LPI were revised so as to reflect the experiences of a student-athlete.
KEY FINDINGS No significant differences were found for any of the five leadership practices on the basis of gender. While seniors reported engaging in the five practices more than their junior and sophomore peers, the only significant difference was on Modeling. The author suggests that “The implications for this research are practical. These instruments are already in use by leadership development program coordinator at the institution sampled. Utilizing these instruments helps the student-athletes, especially those who are expected to be leaders, learn more about their leadership practices: how they actually show their leadership” (p. 12).