Perceptions of Justice within Intercollegiate Athletics among Current and Former Athletes

Abstract

The topic of social justice within intercollegiate sport has focused primarily on administrator perceptions. To better understand the athletes’ perspective and the impact of athletic identity on social justice, 166 current and former NCAA athletes participated in a survey related to their perceptions of inequities during their collegiate athletic experiences. Results indicated that although no significant difference existed between current and former athletes and their levels of athletic identity, former athletes were more likely to perceive inequities. Thus, the data suggests that a shift in perspective, unrelated to athletic identity, may occur once an athlete leaves college. The results further suggest that former athletes may provide a more critical perspective that is needed to further advance social justice within intercollegiate athletics. The theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed.