The conceptualization of resources for lesbian student-athletes to promote inclusive environments in division I institutions

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the phenomenological study was to understand how lesbian student-athletes experience academic and sport environments at a Division I institution in the Southeast region of the United States. Due to the dearth tamount of research that captures the lesbian student-athlete experience in higher education, the research explored current lesbian Division I student-athletes’ experiences of support and strategies used to persist in both environments. Additionally, the research sought to gain resource recommendations from participants to make environments continuously and/or growingly inclusive. Seven participants who attend a Division I institution were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process. Using a phenomenological lens, interviews were hand-coded and thematic analysis pinpointed two themes: (1) Support and (2) Survival Strategies. While experiences of the participants varied, a consensus among the participants calls for increased support from campus and athletic departments. Implications for practice, resource recommendations, and implications for future research will be addressed.

KEYWORDS:

• Lesbian
• student-athlete
• survival
• phenomenology
• division I
• intercollegiate athletics
• higher education climate
• sport climate

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Meghan E. Pfeiffer, Ed.D. is the Director of the Quality Enhancement Planning, Academic Coaching, and Support Services at the University of Memphis. Her research interests include exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning student-athletes’ experiences in higher education and creating inclusive environments in athletic departments.

Mitsunori Misawa, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the adult learning (Ph.D.) and adult education (MS) programs in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Misawa’s major areas of research encompass social justice oriented research including the intersectionality of race, gender, and sexual orientation, academic and workplace bullying, policy and leadership studies, program evaluation, and social sciences research methodologies (qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods).