NCAA Division I Collegiate Athletes’ Motivational Perspectives Pertaining to their Academic and Athletic Roles

Abstract

Research continues to point to collegiate athletes need to navigate their conflicting roles of academics and athletics simultaneously to be successful in their collegiate experience. Thus, in order to traverse these dual roles, collegiate athletes need to be both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to balance both academic and athletic responsibilities. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand collegiate athletes’ perceptions of motivation through a qualitative design based on Self Determination Theory (SDT). Ten collegiate athletes who competed at the NCAA Division I level in a variety of sports were interviewed for this study. Three meaningful themes emerged and from the interview data: (a) Support, Resources, and Challenges for Collegiate Athletes, (b) Athletic Identity Influences Unbalanced Motivation, and (c) Importance of Culture, Coaches’ Leadership, and Environment. Specifically, collegiate athletes were satisfied with their institutions’ support, but most participants showed unbalanced motivation towards their dual roles within athletics and academics. Additionally, theoretical and practical implications for sport researchers, practitioners, and coaches are provided within this study.