ABSTRACT
Ryan Chester
ATHLETIC IDENTITY AND THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES OF DIVISION II BLACK STUDENT ATHLETE BASKETBALL PLAYERS
(Under the direction of Dr. Mark D’Amico)
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of Black men and women, NCAA Division II basketball players regarding their athletic identity and career development experiences. The goal of the study was to identify better ways for institutions to equip this population with the support, guidance, and the skill set they will need for their inevitable retirement from their athletic playing careers. The study was guided by three research questions, (1) How do Black student athletes, who compete in men’s and women’s basketball at the Division II level, perceive their athletic identity? (2) What are the career development experiences of Black student athletes who compete in men’s and women’s basketball at the Division II level? (3) What is the potential relationship between athletic identity and the career development experiences of Black student athletes who compete in men’s and women’s basketball at the Division II level? The study gauged participants level of athletic identity using the abbreviated 7-item version of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) (Brewer & Cornelius, 2001) and utilized the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach to analyze the data of eight individual interviews. Findings outlined the importance of exposure for Black student athletes and demonstrated how a student athlete’s professional athletic playing desires can impact their career-related decision making. Findings also explored the specific challenges that Black student athletes face while on their college campus.