Lukas Svrcek Presents at National Athletics Conference

Lukas Svrcek of Pawling, NY, presented at the National Association for Collegiate Directors of Athletics conference on June 12 in Orlando, Fla, with SUNY Oneonta Assistant Professor of Sport and Exercise Sciences Dr. Katherine Griffes. Dr. Griffes and Svrcek, an Exercise Science major, presented in front of athletic administrators, including directors, fundraisers, compliance officers and other stakeholders for college athletics.

Their presentation, titled "Student Athlete Leadership Development: A Pilot Study," discussed the implementation and results of a one-credit leadership course developed by Svrcek and Griffes, for which Svrcek was a teaching assistant. The presentation contained data that Svrcek and Griffes collected nearly a year ago, looking at the concerns, educational needs and challenges that Division III athlete leaders face while taking on the role of team captain.

The course ran for the first time in the first mini-session of spring 2023 and will run twice in the fall at SUNY Oneonta. Athletes who take part in the course are nominated by their coaches and get opportunities to implement new leadership strategies during their season.

To assess the course, Griffes and Svrcek collected pre- and post-test data from the students and their coaches before and immediately after the class concluded and at the end of the athletic season. The data provided baseline information about each athlete's current leadership behaviors and allowed Svrcek and Griffes to document the changes the athlete leaders and their coaches saw in a variety of areas, including communication, athlete wellness, team culture, inspiring vision, challenging old ways and encouraging athletes.

"Overall, we saw approximately a 20 percent increase in leadership behaviors reported from both the athletes and coaches from the beginning of the course to the end of the season," said Griffes. "This tells us that the athletes adjusted their behaviors during the class and continued to display those behaviors after they completed the course."

Svrcek received financial support for the experience through the Caroline '67 and D'Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund, which provides up to $30,000 each year in grants is available to assist undergraduate and a limited number of graduate students with expenses incurred during professional travel.