Black college student-athletes: Examining the intersection of gender, and racial identity and athletic identity

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine identity development for Black college student-athletes (N = 98) at the Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The results revealed that (a) identity achievement status was best predicted by gender, (b) athletic identity levels were not significantly different based on gender, (c) Black males were more likely to be foreclosed than Black females, and (d) there was a positive relationship between racial identity and athletic identity. The authors also discuss implications for practice and recommendations for future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Black athletes
• racial identity
• athletic identity
• identity achievement status
• college athletics
• identity development
• race
• gender

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Clarence Anthony, Jr. (Ph.D., University of Florida) is a Coordinator of Graduate Career Advancement at the University of Michigan who's research, practice, and teaching focuses on issues of multicultural counseling and human development, and social justice. He has experience in working with various populations such as: children adolescents, emerging adults and adults in higher education, and youth development contexts.

Jacqueline M. Swank (Ph.D., University of Central Florida) is an Associate Professor of counselor education at the University of Florida. She is a licensed mental health counselor, licensed clinical social worker, and registered play therapist-supervisor with experience working with children and their families across various clinical settings including residential, inpatient, day treatment, and outpatient. Her research interests focus on counselor development, assessment, and children and adolescents at-risk and their families, and the use of play and nature-based interventions.