Defining the Dichotomy: Urban High School Teachers’ and Coaches’ Perspectives on Leadership for Student-Athletes

• In Event: Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: Challenges Confronting Student-Athletes and Coaches From K-12 to College

Abstract

The notion of sport as an educational tool inside and out of the classroom can become understated by teachers with little or no investment in utilizing that type of educational strategy (teaching goal-setting, effort and teamwork, etc.). Likewise, coaches who do not serve in an academic capacity with their players may not be able to provide proper accountability for the student-athlete’s behavior and choices during the school day. This paper investigates the perceptions and interactions of urban high school teachers and coaches using Spillane’s (2006) distributed leadership model. Further, Eccles et al.s’ (1998) expectancy-value model provides insight into the educational environment they are creating for their student-athletes and how the power of sport may trigger academic improvement.

Author

• Christel Lea Virginia Beverly, Michigan State University