Leadership Studies Commons^™

Does Athletic Participation Develop Followership Skills? A Case Study On The Development Of Followership Through Athletics, Sara M. Smith

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The role of athletes is to follow the lead of their coaches, captains, and other teammates while working towards the shared goal of team achievement. However, collegiate athletic participation is often attributed to the development of leadership skills. The purpose of this study was to advance the understanding of followership development within athletics. Further, I sought to understand better the perception of student-athletes and coaches on how athletic involvement contributed to the development of followership skills and leadership skills. The study was guided by research questions in which I asked if participants perceived athletic participation contributed to the development of …