We tested a range of facilitating and inhibiting antecedents of leader self-efficacy on a large sample of 692 women intercollegiate athletic administrators in National Collegiate Athletic Association registered institutions. Drawing from social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1997), we examined developmental challenges, peer and supervisor feedback and support, family-work conflict, and perceived gender discrimination as antecedents of leader self-efficacy. We also examined mediating roles of leader self-efficacy in career ascendance. Structural equation modeling results show that developmental challenges were indirectly related to career ascendance, as mediated through leader self-efficacy. Developmental challenges, peer and supervisor feedback, and support were positively related to leader selfefficacy, whereas family-work conflict was negatively related to leader self-efficacy. Perceived gender discrimination was not related to leader self-efficacy. These findings identify potential levers through which intercollegiate athletic institutions may support women leaders' career advancement.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the influences of leader self-efficacy and coaching career outcome expectancies on intentions for advancement in leadership careers of collegiate assistant coaches in the United States. We also investigated psychosocial antecedents of these factors and explored gender differences. Female and male collegiate assistant coaches (N = 674) participated in an online survey consisting of measurements of leadership career advancement intentions, leader self-efficacy, and coaching career outcome expectancies, and their putative antecedents (i.e., developmental challenges, head coach professional support, family-work conflicts, and perceived gender discrimination). Results showed that leader self-efficacy and coaching career outcome expectancies were related to coaches’ leadership career advancement intentions. Developmental challenges and head coach professional support were positively related to leader self-efficacy, while family-work conflicts and perceived gender discrimination were negatively related to coaching career outcome expectancies. Findings also suggested that female assistant coaches may have higher coaching career outcome expectancies, but lower intentions toward leadership career advancement, leader self-efficacy, and developmental challenges than male assistant coaches. The study findings suggest ways to advance junior coaches’ leadership careers.

This chapter covers the role of students' self-efficacy in developing their leadership competencies. Practical strategies and recommendations are provided.

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Mentoring has been identified as an important antecedent for coaches’ professional and leadership development. I examined how the gender composition of head coach and assistant coach mentorship moderates the relationship between the quality of mentorship and assistant coaches’ leadership skills. The participants were 239 pairs of assistant and head coaches in U.S. college sports. The assistant coaches assessed the quality of mentorship with their head coaches, while the head coaches assessed their assistant coaches’ leadership skills. Mentorship quality was generally related to assistant coaches’ leadership skills, yet the relationships were positive and significant for dyads that involve female head coaches and not significant for dyads that involve male head coaches. The results indicate that gender composition may need to be considered in increasing the effectiveness of coaches’ mentorship. The findings inform the current practices in the implementation of mentoring for coaches’ leader development.