An examination of the transitional experience of African American males away from athletics and towards undergraduate success at predominantly white institutions

Tate, Sheldon B.

Item

An examination of the transitional experience of African American males away from athletics and towards undergraduate success at predominantly white institutions

Tate, Sheldon B.

Date

2024-06-14

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to interpret the transitional experience of male African American former student athletes (AAFSAs) from low-SES backgrounds that choose to attend college at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) as non-athletes. As the United States grow exponentially more diverse, so does its need to address the troubling trends of widening success, wage, and employment gaps for its African American populations (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). As this problem persists, the threat of hidden trauma continues to engulf young African Americans exposed to low-SES communities (Burchinal et al., 2011; Conger et al., 2002; McLoyd, 1997; Smith & Parker, 2005). Additionally, young African American athletes who grow up in low-SES environments have a heightened vulnerability to what is known as identity foreclosure (Baillie & Danish, 1992; Good et al., 1993; Lapchick, 2001). In the state of identity foreclosure, an athlete’s desire to realize the dream of becoming a professional athlete (no matter how unlikely) leaves no room for other aspects of who they can be to grow and develop (Good et al., 1993). For those fortunate enough to successfully transition from those developmental challenges, more challenges await. It is well known that the most common path to class mobility in the United States remains a college degree (Antonio et al, 2004; Chang, 1999; Chang, 2001; Chang et al., 2004; Chang et al., 2006; Gurin et al., 2002; Lundberg et al., 1997; Pike & Kuh, 2006). Yet for African American males, current research points to further problems with retention, belonging, engagement, success, and graduation rates (Bryan, 1993; Cabrera et al., Chavous et al., 2004; 1999; Davis, 1994; Feagin, 1992; Harper & Hurtado, 2007; National Center for Education Statistics, 2005; Naylor et al., 2015; Noguera, 2003; Pike & Kuh, 2006; Thomas, 2018). For those AAFSAs who choose to attend a PWI, they are also likely to encounter microaggressions, racism, stereotypes, and cultural ignorance. The threat from each of these challenges are all possibilities for AAFSAs from low-SES backgrounds who are attending a PWI as non-athletes. Currently, there is no research on the intersecting influences of the silent trauma of a low-SES upbringing; an unanticipated ending to sport identity; and the need to navigate transitioning as a minority at a PWI. More must be done to understand who these AAFSAs are, how they view their development by their environments, how they leverage resources, and how they convert these aspects to strengthen their chances for a successful transition. Through a qualitative case study leveraging Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, I applied a Basic Interpretive Analysis (Castro, 2023) to better understand an AAFSA’s transitional process. Eight undergraduate students who met the necessary characteristics were selected from a private PWI in the southwest region of the United States. They were interviewed virtually, and three critical themes emerged from the analysis process. I found a positive relationship between successful transitions and interpersonal connections; a two-fold animus pertaining to confronting adversity; and an imploration to leverage resources wisely. This study concludes with several suggestions to modify theory and improve practice.