“You'll Face Discrimination Wherever You Go”: Student Athletes’ Intentions to Enter the Coaching Profession

Abstract

We conducted 2 studies to examine student athletes’ intentions to enter the coaching profession. In Study 1, participants responded to a questionnaire designed to assess the major constructs from social cognitive career theory. Results indicate that although racial minorities, relative to Whites, expected more positive outcomes with being a coach and had greater intentions to pursue that profession, they also anticipated more barriers associated with coaching. To clarify this relationship, we conducted a focus group interview (Study 2) with 6 male athletes of color. Participants indicated that prejudice and discrimination were expected across their potential vocational choices, not just coaching. Thus, given the many positives associated with coaching, they preferred to encounter those barriers in the coaching context.

An Examination of University Student-Athletes’ Motivations to Contribute

“…Such motives for contributing are consistent with previous findings, indicating that toward the end of their competitive careers, some student-athletes volunteer to develop new skills (Lally & Kerr, 2005) while others transition into coaching or mentoring roles to give back and display their existing skills with younger athletes (Cunningham & Singer, 2010). The findings suggest that the ability to develop and display competence through contributions influenced the participants' intentions to continue to contribute as well as their future career orientation.…”

“…However, later in university, student-athletes became more focused on preparing for a career, and some cited volunteering in career-related settings (e.g., a future teacher volunteering at a local school) to gain relevant experience and develop job-related skills. In a study examining university student-athletes' intentions and barriers to entering coaching as a profession, Cunningham and Singer (2010) found that student-athletes wanted to coach because they believed it was important to provide the same kind of benefits they received as athletes to others participating in their sport.…”

Intentions to Be an Athletic Director

“…Being self-efficacy is ''concerned not with what one has, but with belief in what one can do with whatever resources one can muster'' (Bandura, 2007, p. 646), and women and racial minorities are positioning themselves and their resources effectively to gain a strong sense of self-efficacy. Although the outcome expectations result counters recent research on racial minority student-athletes' intentions to become collegiate coaches (Cunningham & Singer, 2010), it supports Cunningham et al's (2007) research on women coaches and historical research on minorities' perception of a glass ceiling (see Cunningham, 2003;Cunningham et al, 2007;Maume, 1999). While Cunningham and Singer (2010) suggest the attitudes toward the coaching landscape may have changed due to the NCAA's initiatives to increase diversity, the results of these initiatives may take more time to transcend into the athletic administration landscape.…”

“…Although the outcome expectations result counters recent research on racial minority student-athletes' intentions to become collegiate coaches (Cunningham & Singer, 2010), it supports Cunningham et al's (2007) research on women coaches and historical research on minorities' perception of a glass ceiling (see Cunningham, 2003;Cunningham et al, 2007;Maume, 1999). While Cunningham and Singer (2010) suggest the attitudes toward the coaching landscape may have changed due to the NCAA's initiatives to increase diversity, the results of these initiatives may take more time to transcend into the athletic administration landscape. Moreover, since our participants are embedded in the institutional practices, their outcome expectations may have been influenced by their current experiences as an athletic administrator because women and racial minority individuals still face marginalization within the institutionalized structure of athletics (Walker & Sartore-Baldwin, 2013).…”

“…Conversely, the most recent SCCT research found racial minority student-athletes and HBCU students had greater career intentions compared to their White counterparts , 2010. These mixed results and gap in the athletic administration landscape garner further investigation.…”