They’re Just Here for Ball: Proposing a Multi-Level Analysis on the Impact of Collegiate Athletics at Historically White Institutions on Black Male Collegiate Athlete Holistic Identity

Abstract

As the overrepresentation of Black male collegiate athletes (BMCA) increases in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (DI) revenue-generating sports, coaches and athletic staff continue to overemphasize sport performance, while graduation rates for BMCA remain persistently lower than their peers and research continues to document transition out of sport concerns for this population. Proposing a multi-level approach, we explore the collegiate athletic factors that influence the holistic identity development of DI revenue generating BMCA at historically White institutions (HWIs) leading to difficulty transitioning out of sport. At the macro-level, the NCAA and its policies on eligibility are analyzed. At the meso-level, HWIs collegiate athletic departments and the impact of organizational practices are examined in regards to their impact on BMCA’s identity development, overall experiences and transition out of sport. Lastly, at the micro-level, we explore research focused on BMCAs’ experiences, expectations, and issues at HWIs. By identifying salient factors influencing BMCAs’ identity development and experiences, collegiate athletic stakeholders can use this information to create more effective programming and improve campus cultures that foster BMCAs’ holistic development on a systematized basis creating an environment where BMCAs are prepared to move into the next stage of life after sport ends.

Perceptions and Perspectives of Black Male Athletic Directors at National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Institutions

“…The research design is unique in that it offers an opportunity for minority participants to "insert their voice, reflect on their experiential knowledge through an engaging dialogue about the reality of race and racism" (Bimper, 2017, p. 189). Researchers have demonstrated that White and Black people are aware of the stereotype that Black male athletes are athletically superior and academically inferior to their White counterparts (Aronson, 2002;Briggs et al, 2021;Cooper et al, 2017;Harrison & Lawrence, 2004;Harrison et al, 2011;Moskowitz & Carter, 2018;Stone et al, 1999). Apathy toward academic domains rarely stems from the Black male student-athletes' voices themselves (Cooper, 2016).…”