"That's too stereotypical … I don't want that to be how I identify": Identity and body-related sport experiences of racialized young women athletes in Canada

Psychol Sport Exerc. 2024 Jan;70:102517. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102517. Epub 2023 Aug 25.ABSTRACTThere is minimal research on the sport experiences of racialized young women athletes in Canada. When studying racialized groups, an inclusive and meaningful approach to research is necessary because ethnicity and race are integral to understanding identity, diversity, discrimination, and overall experiences in sport. The purpose of this qualitative description study was to explore the identities and body-related sport experiences of racialized young women athletes in a variety of sports in Canada. Eight racialized young women athletes (ages 14-18 years; Mage = 16.63, SD = 1.19) participated in multiple semi-structured one-on-one interviews and reflexive photography. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted, and three overarching themes were generated that describe the athletes' identities and body-related sport experiences: (a) Who I am vs who they say I am; (b) My unique body in sport; and (c) The importance of representation. From these findings, three critical factors - intersectionality, discrimination, and diversity - are examined that influence the quality of sport experiences for racialized young women athletes in Canada.PMID:38065661 | DOI:10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102517
Source: Psychology of Sport and Exercise - Category: Sports Medicine Authors: Source Type: research