Sport migration from the UK to the US: The student-athlete experience

There has been an upward trend of student-athletes migrating to the US (United States) from the United Kingdom (UK). This study focused specifically on elite UK student-athletes' motivations for migrating to the US and their perceptions of the transition on their athletic development. A qualita...

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Published inJournal for the study of sports and athletes in education Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 19 - 40
Main Authors Garrett, Stephanie, Vickers, Emma, Fletcher, David, Taylor, Guy
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 02.01.2020
Subjects
athlete transitions
athletic development
collegiate sport
cultural transitions
international student-athlete
NCAA sport
Sport migration
student-athlete
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Summary:There has been an upward trend of student-athletes migrating to the US (United States) from the United Kingdom (UK). This study focused specifically on elite UK student-athletes' motivations for migrating to the US and their perceptions of the transition on their athletic development. A qualitative research method was used to facilitate the development of this relatively new area. Three primary reasons for migration were identified: (1) the appealing nature of the recruitment process; (2) US university environment: conducive to athletic development; (3) idealistic expectations of US university experience. Five predominant influencing factors of their athletic development in the US were also identified: (1) nature of the coach-athlete relationship; (2) training demands; (3) exposure to high-level competition; (4) representing the university; (5) perception of sport as their job. Due to this study's emphasis on sport, the researchers identified two new concepts: multifaceted perceptions of athletic development and positive reframing.
ISSN:1935-7397
1935-7400
DOI:10.1080/19357397.2020.1736487