Coming to America: Challenges and difficulties faced by African student athletes

Jenny Lee, The University of Arizona
Thomas Opio, Zayed University

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Sport, Education and Society

Publication Date

10-1-2011

Abstract

There is a considerable lack of literature on international student athletes despite the extent to which colleges and universities are increasingly relying on them to heighten the winning reputation of their sports programs. This research focuses on international student athletes from Africa. Based on interviews of 16 student athletes from seven different African countries, the range of their experiences upon entering universities in the United States, particularly their challenges, were identified. Many of the serious issues affecting the student athletes were matters related to the host environment's underestimations about the African student athletes' desires to learn, misunderstandings about their culture and religions and other negative assumptions that undermined their academic success. We also found that the vast majority of these student athletes experienced negative stereotypes and discrimination based on their race and their region of origin. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

ISSN

1357-3322

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Volume

16

Issue

5

First Page

629

Last Page

644

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

Africa, Discrimination, International students, Stereotypes, Student athletes, Student experiences

Scopus ID

84859062840

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

Link to Full Text

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