Crossing Goal Lines and Borders

Abstract

Many Black male student-athletes suffer from identity foreclosure at rates higher than their white peers as they fail to develop salient aspects of their identity outside of the athlete role (Murphy, Petitpas, & Brewer, 1996; Beamon, 2012). Education abroad offers the opportunity to take advantage of a holistic collegiate experience, which impedes the detrimental effects of the athletic identity foreclosure process. International educational opportunities can positively influence Black male student-athletes’ personal, academic, and professional development as they come to see the world beyond the gym and campus. This article examines the significance and value of creating education abroad opportunities for Black male student-athletes as a means of providing meaningful educational opportunities in the realm of higher education.

Beyond the scoreboard: Career preparation and transitions of Black college athletes.

“…In other words, Black athletes were less likely to benefit from their interactions with faculty. More recently, studies exploring the impact of study abroad programs on Division I Black athletes have found that international education experiences enhance the process of their identity development (Walker, 2018; Walker et al, 2019).…”

Black male college athlete identity: A scoping review

“…Another aspect where institutions can assist Black male college athletes with holistic identity development is through study abroad programmes. In one of the only articles making the connection between the benefits of study abroad and Black male college athletes, Walker et al (2019) argued:…”

“…Education abroad can provide Black male student-athletes with a multidimensional opportunity to author aspects of their identities that are challenging to access within the figured worlds of college campuses, in a way that does not posit their athletic identity through a deficit-oriented lens. (p. 104) Taking advantage of international experiences would allow Black male college athletes to develop identity that is independent of US understandings of what it means to be a college athlete (Walker et al, 2019).…”

“…On the other end of the spectrum, some Black male college athletes understood the complexity of identities and were not defined solely by their athletic identity; rather, multiple salient social identities influenced their sense of self (Cooper, 2016; Cooper et al, 2017; Fuller et al, 2020). At the same time, Black male college athletes are continually being defined by others, which is primarily based on physical characteristics (Bimper et al, 2013; Haslerig, 2017; Walker et al, 2019). Physical characteristics, such as race, body stature, and clothing can cause individuals to assume their athletic status.…”

“…First, this population represents the majority of football and men's basketball players in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I and II levels while being marginally represented in the student body population (Harper, 2018; NCAA, 2020). As these are some of the more prominent figures on their respective campuses (Walker et al, 2019), an understanding of identity within these students can lend additional insights into their collegiate experience and lead to better support, such as promoting holistic identity development, integrating within the broader campus environment, and transitioning from sport. Second, although commonalities may exist between Black male college athlete identity and college athletes of other races, Black college athletes face numerous challenges that other groups of athletes likely do not encounter (Simiyu, 2012).…”