The Forgotten Student Leader: The Leadership Experiences of NCAA Division I Team Captains

Abstract

In the modern era, NCAA Division I sports fans and the media fixate on which teams have the biggest stadium, the implications of the transfer portal, which of their favorite players has the largest Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) or scholarship deal, and who has the most accolades. Due to this, what goes on behind the scenes for the athletes that are impacted by these headlines and tall ordeals often gets lost. The purpose of this narrative, qualitative study was to examine the leadership experiences of the student athletes who have been historically forgotten in discussions about student leadership, the athletic team captains. This study was conducted using Astin's Student Involvement Theory (1984) and Komives' et al. Leadership Identity Development (LID) Model (2005) as a theoretical framework. This population's voice often gets lost in the discussion surrounding organized student leadership and college athletics, so it is important to recognize them and their experiences in a student leadership role. The four participants in this study, all from different sports, shared their experiences related to common themes of: the benefits of taking their role, their preparation process to becoming team captain, their support system on campus, and the challenges that they regularly face.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University
Supervisor	Jon K. Coleman (Supervisor)