Using Race to Examine Coaching Intentions Among Student Athletes

Purpose

The current racial disparity in head coaching positions in the NCAA is constantly critiqued, by both practitioners (Bray, 2005) and researchers (e.g. Lapchick & Brenden, 2006) alike. Still, an ignominious racial gap continues to pervade the coaching landscape where racial minorities account for a mere 7.3% of NCAA Division I head football coaches and 10.4% of NCAA women's teams coaches (Lapchick & Brenden, 2006). Research has examined such a phenomenon through perceived coaching opportunities (Cunningham, 2003) and access discrimination (Cunningham & Sagas, 2005). Recent research, in fact has revealed that a significant difference does exist in perceived general and racial discrimination levels between Caucasian and African-American college coaches (Clopton & Sagas, 2008).

Methods

The current study sought to trace the origins of these perceptions into the student-athletes, framed through the Social Cognitive Career Identity (Lent et al., 1994). The SCCT balances cognitive-person variables the interaction of these variables into each person's environment, forming one's career choice. Thus, the SCCT might provide insight into any racial differences in the construction of a coaching career. To examine the cognitive-person variables in line with previous coaching and SCCT research (Cunningham, Doherty, & Gregg, 2007), scales were derived for perceived social supports and barriers for the coaching profession (Lent et al., 2001), outcome expectations of pursuing a coaching career (Lent et al.), and perceived self-efficacy in coaching (Doherty & Johnson, 2001). For this study, five items were adapted for the social supports measure, six items for the social barriers measure. Five items were used to evaluate the athletes' expectations of positive outcomes with six items for the negative outcomes. Finally, six items were used to explore self-efficacy in coaching. Student-athletes (N=1600) were randomly selected online from 23 institutions across three BCS conferences. A total of 548 student-athletes responded for a response rate of 34.3%. Athletes with completed surveys were coded into white, non-Hispanic (N= 382) or non-white minorities (N=96). A random selection of the white student-athlete sample (N=110) was conducted to narrow the sample size difference.

Analysis/Results

Independent sample t-tests revealed no significant differences between white and non-white athletes for each of the variables regarding supports and barriers, outcome expectations, or self-efficacy.

Conclusions

Data suggest that future research is necessary to explore the racial gap that currently exists in coaching. However, perhaps much less of that gap originates, or exists, within the current collegiate experience. A qualitative approach is recommended to examine such remaining potential differences.