The Relationship between Relational Dynamics and Social Justice Identity among Collegiate Student Athletes

Student athletes are positioned to utilize relationships with teammates, coaches, and communities to advocate for social change. According to the literature, their connections to these individuals and environments contribute to their expressed social justice related behaviors and even further enhance their social justice identity development. The current study was developed in an effort to identify the extent of relationships between student athletes and their social justice identity and other demographic factors that might impact their overall expression of social justice identity and behaviors. The study consisted of 133 (42 females, 91 males) current student athletes participating in competitive sports across the United States (Mage = 19.54 years; SD = 1.79). A regression analysis was used to evaluate the degree of these relationships, and results indicated a positive relationship between community and social justice identity. Results for relationship between teammates and coaches revealed no significant differences. Results from this study can serve to inform the development of best practices for counselor educators and athletic departments as they work to encourage the development and expression of social justice identities among college athletes and also guide research on this topic