Football Student Athletes' Engagement in Career Readiness Activities [electronic resource]

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Student-athletes have many commitments during their college experience. Their role as student-athletes impacts their career readiness. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) promotes the fact that most student-athletes will not become professional athletes. However, they do little to help prepare student-athletes for life after athletics. This responsibility falls on each institution and they must provide specific programming and resources to student-athletes. With so much time dedicated to their sport, programming needs to positively impact student-athletes' career readiness. Having student-athletes leave college feeling career-ready allows them to be more successful: the goal for many college students, athletic departments, and institutions.My study was conducted at the University of Florida which offers career readiness activities for all current student-athletes. Overall, student-athletes are engaged with career readiness activities. However, some sports have lower engagement than others: men's revenue-generating sports. These sports are football and men's basketball. My study examined how student-athletes in men's revenue-generating sports engage with career readiness activities provided by the athletic department.The purpose of my study was to explore men's revenue-generating sports student-athletes in career readiness activities offered by their athletic department. This practitioner action research study included initial interviews, observation of co-researchers at a career readiness activity, and individual interviews after observations with seven co-researchers. Data collected will give athletic department professionals an idea, of this populations' engagement with career readiness activities.Three main themes emerged from data. The first theme was perceived barriers for co-researchers and teammates for not attending career readiness activities. This includes time constraints and communication. The second theme was co-researchers were active at career readiness activities. This includes co-researchers asking questions and engaging in conversation during career activities. The third theme was the human connection of career readiness activities. This includes building connections with people at career activities in addition to learning career content.My study provides implications for me and for career programming in the University of Florida athletic department. It also provides implications for career professionals, athletic administrators, and men's revenue-generating sports coaches pertaining to funding, staffing, resources, and programming for career readiness activities for men's revenue-generating sports student-athletes.