Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore college sport experiences that have influenced the leadership development of female leaders in sport organizations. Methodology. This study used qualitative interviews to explore the following research question: How did the experience of playing sports in college influence the leadership development of female leaders in collegiate and professional sport organizations? Findings. Several categories and themes emerged in response to the research question. Major themes included Having a Mentor at Every Stage in Life is Important, Sports Provided Participants with Tools for Leadership in an Organizational Setting, Creating an Image and Managing Perceptions, and Coach's Leadership Styles Influence on Participants Leadership Identity. Conclusions. This study supports the view that college sport participation contributes to leadership development. The themes identified in this study, in the participants' leadership development during their college sport years, highlight the benefits of sport participation to leadership development and indicate potential opportunities to enhance athletes' leadership development. Recommendations. Future research could include a comparison of the leadership development of individual and team sport athletes, a comparison with leaders who participated in extracurricular college activities other than sport, and a comparison of the developmental experiences of male and female college athletes. Additional research is needed to confirm the study's findings and clarify the role of college sport participation on leadership development. The study includes recommendations for enhancing the leadership development of female college athletes.