The Complex Identities of International Student-Athletes Competing in the NCAA: An Exploratory Qualitative Case Study [Dissertation]

An international student-athlete is a student who is living abroad in the United States and competing in a sport at a National Collegiate Athletic Association member institution. These students are unique, as they face the challenges inherent to both student-athletes and international students. Although international student-athletes typically arrive in the country better prepared for academic challenges than their domestic student-athlete counterparts, international student-athletes drop out of college prior to completing their degrees at higher rates because of the substantial challenges they face while adjusting to life at American institutions of higher education. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to identify the shared academic and socialization experiences of international student-athletes at National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institutions. A total of 13 international student-athletes from nine difference countries were interviewed, guided by social identity theory, which can explain how the in-groups to which people belong can impact their behavior. The international student-athletes reported common academic issues brought on by the language barrier and poor time management, socialization issues brought on by cultural differences and homesickness, and support barriers brought on by a lack of available campus resources and international student-athletes showing a lack of initiative. The findings reinforce the literature surrounding international student-athletes and can inform meaningful measures than can be taken to minimize the negative academic and socialization experiences that many international student-athletes encounter. There is a greater need for engagement and oversight from those who work most closely with international student-athletes.