Creating a Culture of Leadership in Physical Education: Strategies for Empowering Student Athletes

Abstract

The objective of this research was to analyze the leadership abilities of student-athletes and determine the efficacy of leadership development programs used by schools in the field of physical education and sports. The study included a cohort of student-athletes from five universities in Hunan Province, classified according to their gender and participating sport. A custom-designed questionnaire, verified for its reliability and clarity, was used to collect data on the perceived leadership abilities in six specific areas: goal setting, communication, motivation, decision-making, adaptability, and conflict resolution. The results indicated that the general leadership abilities of student-athletes were assessed as "less apparent," with notable variations in perception depending on gender and sport. Specifically, male players and those participating in tennis reported having superior leadership capabilities. Furthermore, the research revealed that the efficacy of schools' leadership development initiatives, such as education and training, mentorship programs, team-building activities, leadership opportunities, community involvement, and cultural and diversity awareness, was generally assessed as "not effectively executed." Substantial variations in these evaluations were also seen depending on gender and sport, underscoring possible program structure and availability discrepancies. A robust positive correlation was found between student-athletes' perceived leadership abilities and the efficacy of leadership development initiatives, suggesting that effectively designed programs may significantly augment leadership capabilities.