Understanding immigrated professional athletes' support networks during post-relocation adaptation through media data

Abstract

A directed content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) of media data concerning immigrated Major League Baseball (n = 56) and National Hockey League (n = 56) players was done to explore post-relocation stressors and adaptation. Fiske's (2004) adaptation pathways of understanding, control, belonging, and trust guided the analysis. The understanding sub-strategies were language advice, language models, and integration advice; control sub-strategies were language reinforcement and integration reinforcement; belonging sub-strategies were shared cultural background and cultural appreciation from one's sport team; and trusting sub-strategies were inclusive reputation of the team and of immigrated veterans. These results extend understandings of adaptation and cultural sport psychology into the realm of immigrant professional athletes relocated to North America. Furthermore, the authors provide suggestions for applied sport psychologists who work with a diversity of immigrated clients.

Keywords:

• adaptation
• professional athletes
• support networks