A Case Study of College Sport Leadership, Hispanic Athletic Directors, and Racial Inequalit

Despite the introduction of Federal legislation and the efforts of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to increase the opportunities for minorities in athletic administration, the underrepresentation of minorities, particularly Hispanic Americans, within college sports persists. The problem was the lack of Hispanic American leaders in sports administration in NCAA Division I athletic programs. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological case study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of Hispanics in leadership positions within Division I programs to provide information necessary to increase the number of Hispanic American leaders in sports administration in NCAA Division I athletic programs. Three Hispanic Athletic Directors at Division I programs completed open-ended surveys. The research question addressed how minorities such as Hispanic Americans can gain access and overcome challenges preventing them from reaching senior level management positions within college sports. There results from this study were: (a) a graduate degree and experience in college athletics either through employment or as an athlete were the most important qualifications for the position of Athletic Director, (b) hard work and having a vision were critical job skills, (c) reservations among non-minority hiring committees about hiring Hispanic candidates was the strongest barrier to advancement, (d) programs in place to facilitate the hiring of minority Athletic Directors have varying degrees of success, (e) the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association was the most important organization for facilitating leadership development opportunities for minorities, and (f) there was a lack of commitment at the school level to create opportunities for ethnic minorities in sport leadership. It was recommended: (a) increased commitment to diversity by schools is required, (b) school administrators should develop programs to encourage students to pursue careers in athletic administration, and (c) organizations should support minority candidates by developing programs for Hispanic applicants. Four recommendations for future research were: (a) researchers should employ mixed method research designs, (b) individuals from other minority groups should be included in studies, (c) Hispanic Athletic Directors from Division II and Division III schools should be included, and (d) Hispanic individuals holding leadership positions other than Athletic Director could also be included.