| Description |
The purpose of this study was to understand coaches' and refugee student-athletes' experiences and levels of engagement in athletics at the public high school level in Salt Lake County, Utah. While sports have been known to offer a range of physical and psychological benefits, particularly in promoting a positive resettlement experience for refugee youth, there is a severe lack of participation in athletics among refugee youth. First, using semi-structured, exploratory interviews with both coaches and refugee student-athletes, I sought to address this lack of participation by asking about the experiences of both populations. The two populations found their experiences to be both challenging and rewarding. Second, I explored how coaches and refugee student-athletes have looked to engage or have been engaged into athletics. The results of these interviews showed that refugee students have indeed experienced adverse racism and discrimination within athletic environments. Furthermore, fostering inclusive, welcoming, and safe environments is critical in allowing for higher rates of engagement and participation. These findings concluded that action must be taken, including addressing changes in uniforms to promote inclusivity to students of different cultures or religions, better representation for refugee students in schools and districts, and athletic environments built upon inclusivity. |
