Push–pull analysis of motocross and supercross athletes’ migration to the United States

Abstract

This research aims to explore the migration of motocross and supercross athletes to the United States using the push–pull–anti-push–anti-pull framework. A purposive sampling method was employed to recruit motocross and supercross athletes who had migrated to the United States to compete in professional sport. Qualitative methodology in the form of personal interviews was employed to understand meanings participants made of their migration experiences. Codebook thematic analysis and deductive coding of data revealed themes that differed among participants from developed and developing countries, such as push–pull factors related to muscle drain and pursuit of the American dream, and anti-push–anti-pull factors related to strong family ties and career uncertainty. This research fills voids in the literature where prior scholars have explored athlete migration primarily among team-sport athletes in the context of European countries but have overlooked individual-sport athletes and the United States as the country of destination.