| The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand and describe how athletes at the high school level make the transition to college, and to explore whether continued participation in college athletics facilitates or hinders the overall adjustment to college in the academic, social, emotional, and athletic contexts. A purposive sampling procedure was used to select eight senior high school field hockey players who were progressing on to a four-year college. Four of the participants chose to continue their field hockey participation in college while the other four discontinued their formal athletic participation in any sport when they entered college. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with research participants during three distinct periods of their transition from June 2002 through June 2003: at the end of their senior year of high school; in the winter after they completed their first semester of college; and in the spring at the conclusion of their freshman year of college. The audiotaped interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through the identification of themes and sub-themes that emerged from the raw data. One of the major findings of this research demonstrated the significance of establishing a social network among the campus community, showing that a positive adjustment to all aspects of college was largely dependent on one's social integration. Another conclusion that emerged from the data showed that the huge time demands imposed on Division I athletes in this low-profile sport of field hockey hindered their social and emotional transition to college. Participants who did not play field hockey in college or who competed at the Division III level had easier transitions in that they had the freedom to engage in activities that interested them with people that they enjoyed. Finally, the lived experiences of these participants showed meaningful differences in the transition experiences of residential students vs. those that commuted. The results of this study have implications for higher education professionals who work in academic affairs, student affairs, and athletics. |
