Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

6038

Date

2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Higher and Adult Education

Concentration

Higher Education

Committee Chair

Jeffery L Wilson

Committee Member

Brown E Mario

Committee Member

Lamont D. Simmons

Committee Member

William C Hunter

Abstract

The media's overrepresentation of Black men in entertainment often portrays that the only Black males who are successful are those who are either professional athletes or entertainers. Therefore, at an early age, many Black boys aspire to capitalize on what society speculates to be their best attributes--physical ability. African American male athletes spend countless hours practicing, exerting a great deal of energy, and enduring physical pain and injuries while competing, all for the slim hope of securing a roster spot on a professional sports team. While college is intended to be a place to acquire the necessary skills or credentials needed to gain entrance into a career, many student-athletes at major Division I institutions view college as simply an audition for professional leagues. The purpose of this case study was to understand the experiences that influence African American male student-athletes' college choice, career goals, and academic persistence at a Division II Historically Black College. The findings showed that sports played a significant role in providing the participants an opportunity to attend college, and revealed that the HBCU culture was influential in their self-efficacy to secure non-sports related careers. It is anticipated that this study will help to understand the ongoing relevancy of HBCUs and how it prepares African American male student-athletes for life after sports.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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