On the Field and Outside the Lines: Relationships between Student-Athletes' Perceptions of Their Intercollegiate Coaches' Leadership Practices and Student-Athletes' Self Reported Satisfaction, Athletic and Academic Performance

This study explored the relationships between intercollegiate student-athletes' perceptions of their coaches' exemplary leadership practices and those student-athletes' self-reported athlete satisfaction, athletic and academic performances, while controlling for the demographics of coach and student-athlete gender, student-athlete playing experience, college division, and sport. Kouzes' and Posner's (2013) "Leadership Practices Inventory" (LPI)-Observer form (4th ed.) and Riemer and Chelladurai's (1998) "Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire" (ASQ) were administered to college athletes in the state of Texas to assess whether coaches' leadership practices influenced their athlete satisfaction, and a researcher-developed demographic survey asked those students to self-report their individual athletic performance and grade point average (GPA) to measure their academic performance. Multiple regression analyses revealed significant relationships between coaches' leadership and student-athletes' satisfaction and between leadership and athletic performance. While leadership did not significantly predict academic performance in this study, further research is needed for greater understanding of the potential role of college athletic leadership practices in improving academic performance. This investigation contributes to the body of research on leadership in the education sector and the sports industry. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]