The life and sport experiences of former collegiate women's basketball players

The purpose of this study was to understand the life and sport experiences of former collegiate women's basketball players, with a particular emphasis on exploring initial athletic experiences and the factors associated with continued sport involvement. An overview of the development of women's sport in the United States, with a specific focus on women's basketball, was presented. Additionally, brief discussions of sport socialization, gender role stereotyping, and homophobia were provided. Five former collegiate women's basketball players who had played at NCAA Division I, II, or III institutions and who were under 30 years of age were interviewed using qualitative research methods. The initial interviews with each participant were semi-structured, with six open-ended questions, and lasted approximately 30 minutes to 90 minutes. These women discussed their experiences as female athletes, including the reactions they received from others regarding their sport involvement, and shared their perceptions regarding how society views female athletes. A follow-up interview with each participant served to validate the conclusions drawn from the initial interviews. Preliminary themes were confirmed by a qualitative research group, which further contributed to the study's validity. Six themes emerged from the interviews: (a) early athletic experiences that involved males, including the learning of sport skills from older male family members and playing more with boys than with girls; (b) support and encouragement from significant others that contributed to continued sport involvement; (c) frustration at the existence of gender inequities; (d) awareness of negative stereotypes of female athletes and societal perceptions of"gender-appropriate" sports; (e) acknowledgment of progress achieved by girls and women in sport coupled with personal regret; and (f) ambivalence regarding the future of girls and women in sport. These themes, along with the unique experiences of each participant, were discussed in relation to the literature on the history of girls and women in sport, sport socialization, gender role stereotyping, and homophobia.