Leadership Development Through Athletic Participation at West Point Jennifer Lee Hoffman University of Washington, USA Herbert L. Hoffman CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS TM Welch Suggs University of Georgia, USA The United States Military Academy (West Point) is one of the premier undergraduate institutions for leadership development in higher education. Participating in competitive varsity athletics is both a key entrance requirement and a prominent feature of the West Point cadet leadership development experience. The ways in which leadership development occurs in postsecondary education by participating in athletics is not well understood regardless of the institution type. Using qualitative interviews with West Point graduates, this study explores the role that participating in competitive athletics plays in the leadership development of its undergraduates. A key finding from this study indicates that participation in varsity high school athletics is a critical admissions determinant in West Point’s selection process. Furthermore, mandatory participation for all cadets in competitive athletics is viewed as essential by West Point to develop prominent future military leaders who lead by example. Implications for leadership development outcomes among students at other undergraduate institutions are discussed. keywords leadership development, team captains, West Point, intercollegiate athletics, military education Leadership development is the primary mission of the United States Military Academy (West Point). Throughout the history of the United States, West Point graduates have played and continue to play a central leadership role in the military, government, and business (O’Keefe, 2010). Competing for the best students against Ivy League schools, other service academies, and top-tier state and private institutions, West Point markets itself as ‘‘the preeminent leadership journal for the study of sports and athletes in education, Vol. 7 No. 2, August, 2013, 79–96 ß W. S. Maney & Son Ltd 2013 DOI 10.1179/1935739713Z.0000000006