Sports experiences as anticipatory socialization: How does communication in sports help individuals with intellectual disabilities learn about and adapt to work?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Organizational socialization scholarship has demonstrated that various sources and experiences shape people’s expectations and understanding of work. Yet we understand less about how activities outside of school and work teach us about employment. Thus, the current study explored how sports communication outside of work helps socialize adults to work. We focused on individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), a population that has lacked scholarly attention. Interviews and observations of working Special Olympics athletes illuminated how sports communication socialized individuals by helping athletes learn valuable skills used at work, adapt to various job duties, and develop confident work identities. This study showcases the unique role of sports communication in the process of anticipatory socialization, highlights sports activities as another way individuals engage in identity construction, and extends established research on sports and disability by demonstrating how sports skills percolate into work.