Student Athlete Leadership Institute

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to determine if Virginia Tech’s Leadership Institute is helping student athletes in their overall experience. Additionally, the project sought to identify which parts of the Leadership Institute are most helpful to student athletes, and which have made an impact that will help them in all aspects of life. This qualitative study consisted of face-to-face interviews to identify the development of student athletes’ leadership skills. Data was collected by interviewing 10 student athletes at Virginia Tech. These student athletes participated in one or more of the Leadership Institute events sponsored by Virginia Tech. The study was guided by Social Learning Theory, which focuses on learning from one another via observation, imitation, and modeling. After research and observation, it became evident that once a great leader is developed the future leaders have mentors to teach them how to become an even better leader. After participating in the Leadership Institute, many student athletes realized what it takes to be a great leader and how to develop younger teammates into great leaders as well. Interviews revealed leadership skills that many developed by being a part of the Virginia Tech Leadership Institute.