The Effect of Athletic Participation on the Development of Leadership Ability

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to see if high school students playing a team sport gain leadership ability. The research also compared the leadership ability in two groups of athletes: superstars compared to average athletes. Each athlete was chosen specifically from the Junior Varsity Lacrosse team at Calvert Hall College. The hypothesis of this study was that there would be no difference in leadership skills of athletes who are super vs average performers. The data showed that the null hypothesis was supported. The data also supported the team leadership theory that every athlete on the team gains leadership ability and it is not based on athletic ability.