Understanding the Wellness Needs of Black Men Student Athletes

Race, ethnicity, and gender significantly impact the wellness of Black collegiate athletes, particularly males. However, the literature on the wellness of collegiate-level student-athletes highlights a lack of diversity in gender and racial/ethnic representation, often overlooking Black student-athletes, who form the second largest group in college sports (Boyd et al., 2017; Elder et al., 2014; NCAA, 2012). Notably, there is an underrepresentation of males (Hinton et al., 2004; Stickler et al., 2022). Additionally, the dearth of qualitative research on this issue is troubling, as such studies can provide deeper insights into these experiences (Biggerstaff, 2012). This qualitative, reflexive thematic analysis aimed to understand how Black men student-athletes defined, perceived, and conceptualized wellness and the factors they believed may have contributed to their wellness. This study focused on the questions, “What are the wellness needs of Black men student-athletes?” and “What influences their overall wellness?” The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 NCAA Black men student-athletes from various regions in the U.S. Findings revealed that Black men student athletes viewed wellness as inclusive of the connection between body and mind and emphasizing taking initiative for collective success in their personal, academic, and athletic pursuits. They also believed wellness encompassed a sense of belonging in their environments.