Abstract
International college athletes migrating to the United States for athletic competition encounter unique challenges such as language barriers, cultural adjustment, and familial detachment. These obstacles can hinder international college athletes’ transition compared to those of domestic athletes. While supportive programming and personnel have been illustrated to ease the transition and foster acculturation among international college athletes, the impact of the geographic location of an institution may impact the acculturation process for international college athletes. Given the importance of acculturation to athletic and academic success, this study examined how cultural diversity within communities hosting NCAA member institutions affects international college athletes’ transition experiences. Findings from semi-structured interviews with 11 (n = 11) international college athletes currently competing in NCAA athletics indicate that on-campus and community geographic diversity influences international college athletes’ transition and overall experience. Accordingly, the findings of this study suggest that international college athletes face inherent challenges transitioning to the United States given the geographic location and homogenous communities of many colleges and universities in the United States.
Recommended Citation
Taškár, Marek; Corr, Chris; Sellars, Nicole; Stokowski, Sarah; Jolly, Karina; and Bopp, Trevor
(2025)
"The Impact of Geographic and Community Diversity on the Transitionary Experiences of International College Athletes,"
Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics: Vol. 18:
Iss.
1, Article 22.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51221/sc.jiia.2025.18.1.22
Available at:
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/jiia/vol18/iss1/22