From Learner to Leader: Exploring the Influence of a Multi-Year Leadership Development Program on Student-Athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17161/jis.v19i3.24635Keywords:
college student-athlete, leadership development, Social construction of leadership, Sport leadershipAbstract
This study explored how student-athletes in a multi-year leadership development academy constructed and reconstructed their understandings of leadership across four years of participation. Using a qualitative design grounded in a social construction of leadership framework, we examined how 13 Division III student-athletes, first as participants and later as facilitators, articulated, interpreted, and constructed their leadership development experiences. Semi-structured interviews captured how student-athletes described the evolution of their leadership identities, skills, and applications across athletic, academic, and personal contexts. Thematic analysis led to the development of four interrelated themes: (1) leadership identity development; (2) confidence and competence building; (3) facilitation as a transformative catalyst; and (4) the application of leadership skills beyond sport. Findings highlight the dynamic and adaptive nature of leadership as co-constructed through ongoing reflection, peer interaction, and role transitions. By demonstrating how facilitation deepens identity development and expands leadership application, this study contributes to scholarship on sport leadership by emphasizing temporal, experiential, and socially constructed dimensions of student-athlete leadership development. Implications for practice underscore the value of longitudinal, scaffolded programming that integrates peer-led facilitation and supports holistic preparation for leadership across life domains.
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