Athletic Voices and Academic Victories: African American Male Student-Athlete Experiences in the Pac-Ten

    Authors

    B. E. Martin; C. K. Harrison; J. Stone;S. M. Lawrence

    Comments

    Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Sport Soc. Issues

    Keywords

    African American male student-athletes; academic experiences; stereotypes; stereotype reactance and success; BLACK-AND-WHITE; STEREOTYPE THREAT; PERFORMANCE; IDENTITY; SALIENCE; Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism; Sociology

    Abstract

    The purpose of this study was to explore participants' academic experiences and confidence about their academic achievement. Participants (N = 27) consisted of high-achieving African American male student-athletes from four academically rigorous American universities in the Pac-Ten conference. Most of the participants competed in revenue-generating sports and were interviewed to obtain a deeper understanding of their successful academic experiences. Utilizing a phenomenological approach four major themes emerged: "I Had to Prove I'm Worthy," "I'm a Perceived Threat to Society," "It's About Time Management," and "It's About Pride and Hard Work." Stereotype threat and stereotype reactance are investigated in relation to findings. Recommendations for scholars and practitioners that work with student-athletes are also articulated.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Sport & Social Issues

    Volume

    34

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2010

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    131

    Last Page

    153

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000277468700001

    ISSN

    0193-7235

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