An examination of coach and peer leader behaviors in sport

Objectives: First, to examine concurrently the leadership behaviors of coaches and peer leaders and, second, to examine the nature of peer leadership in sport. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: The participants were 238 athletes from 15 teams representing a wide range of independent and interdependent team sports. Coach behaviors were measured using the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS) [J. Sport Psychol. 2 (1980) 34]. Similarly, peer leader behaviors were operationalized using a modified version of the LSS. Results: A repeated measures MANOVA showed that coaches and peer leaders exhibited different leadership behaviors. Follow-up post-hoc ANOVAs revealed significant differences between coaches and peer leaders in the use of each of the five behaviors measured by the LSS. Coaches were perceived as exhibiting training and instruction and autocratic behaviors to a greater extent than peer leaders. Conversely, peer leaders exhibited more social support, positive feedback, and democratic behaviors than coaches. As for the nature of peer leadership, the results showed that both captains and other team members served as peer leaders. Conclusion: The results indicated that coaches and peer leaders exhibit different types of leadership behaviors. Furthermore, athletes revealed that peer leaders are comprised of both team captains and fellow teammates. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.