“Need help? We got you!”: Sources of support for first-generation Latinx student-athletes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Approximately 6% of Latinxs participate in intercollegiate athletics [Lapchick, R. (2020). The 2019 racial and gender report card: College sport. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. https://43530132-36e9-4f52-811a-182c7a91933b.filesusr.com/ugd/7d86e5_d69e3801bb8146f2b08f6e619bcddf22.pdf]; many of these athletes are first-generation college students. However, a large gap in the literature currently exists on experiences of this student-athlete subpopulation. Therefore, this study explores the lived experiences of first-generation Latinx college athletes, focusing on what sources of support they rely on for persistence to degree attainment. Grounded in Rendón’s (1994. Validating culturally diverse students: Toward a new model of learning and student development. Innovative Higher Education, 19(1), 33–51. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01191156) validation theory, this qualitative phenomenological study found that participants built a support network consisting of their teammates, athletic advisors, coaches, and family members. This study concludes with implications for practice and recommendations for future research.