Leadership Development of Team Captains in Collegiate Varsity Athletics

This study examined the leadership development of team captains and student-athletes engaged in NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics at 6 private institutions of higher education. Student-athletes in the sports of men’s and women’s soccer, women’s field hockey, men’s and women’s cross country, and women’s tennis completed the 2nd edition of Kouzes and Posner’s Student LPI, Self instrument (2005) at the beginning and end of one playing season. Results indicate that merely participating in athletics had little influence on leadership development during one playing season, while serving as a team captain provided a rich opportunity for students to learn and practice leadership skills.