NCAA Division III Athletes’ Perceptions of Impactful Peer Leadership

While sport leadership strongly influences team cohesion, motivation, and success, most research focuses on coaches rather than peer athletic leaders. PURPOSE: Explore common characteristics among peer athletic leaders and how they influence a team’s motivation and success. METHODS: In the Fall of 2025, modified questions from the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS) and the Grit Scale-Original (GS-O), measuring leadership behaviors, leadership qualities, team dynamics, and the influence of peer leaders, were emailed to student athletes at a NCAA Division III University. RESULTS: Thirteen participants (M age= 20.15 years, SD=1.46 years) representing five sports (basketball N=8, cross country N=1, soccer N=1, softball N=1, cycling N=1, and tennis N=1) voluntarily responded. Ezzy’s (2002) qualitative thematic analysis indicated that effective peer leadership plays a significant role in shaping athletes’ experiences and team dynamics, specifically team cohesion and team flow. CONCLUSION: Peer leaders can contribute to a more unified and supportive team environment, and their influence could be used to help improve communication, trust, and camaraderie among teammates. While most responses supported peer leadership, its specific benefits and their relationships to team dynamics remain understudied and misunderstood. Future studies should include more athletic teams, participants, and focus on specific leadership behaviors and interventions among peer athletic leaders.