All Athletes Can Lead in Their Own Way

Abstract

Did you know that not just coaches can be leaders on sport teams? Athletes are also an important source of leadership within teams. When you think of athletes performing leadership roles, you probably think of captains or assistant captains. While these are important sources of team leadership, athletes do not need to be captains or assistant captains to be leaders. In fact, all athletes can display leadership through their behaviors. Coaches can help athletes to be a part of team leadership. We provide some suggestions on how coaches can facilitate the development of leadership skills in their athletes. If athletes are not comfortable being team leaders, they can provide leadership by mentoring fellow teammates. There are many ways that athletes can provide leadership to their teams!