Athlete Leadership and Communication: Descriptive Research in Professional Teams with Social Network Analysis

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of athlete leadership at the team level and how communication among athletes is influenced by leadership roles using social network analysis. The research focused on specific leadership characteristics such as task leader, external leader, social leader, and motivational leader, and examined their relationship with communication skills. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of a total of 65 athletes, including 30 women and 35 men, from various sports teams in Turkey, including men's football, women's volleyball, women's handball, men's basketball, and women's basketball teams. Data were collected through questionnaires and analysed using social network and correlation analyses. Results: It has revealed a moderate positive relationship between leadership and communication skills among athletes. Interestingly, this relationship is stronger in women's sports teams compared to men's teams, indicating gender differences in how leadership and communication are connected. Furthermore, the study has revealed that team captains are not always perceived by their teammates as task, motivational, social, or external leaders. In most cases, these leadership roles were assumed by other players within the team. This demonstrates that leadership is distributed throughout the team and is not solely dependent on the captain. Conclusion: Overall, this study highlights the complex and dynamic nature of athlete leadership, emphasising the importance of communication in developing effective leadership and team cohesion.