| The arrest of professional athletes for a plethora of criminal behaviors continues to gain coverage via numerous media outlets. Most often, the athletes are members of either the National Football League or the National Basketball Association, which are disproportionately represented by players that are African-American. Given the obstacles with which African-American males must contend in an effort to ascend into the higher levels of socioeconomic status, the present study seeks to orientate mental health professionals, as well as the coaches, family members and fans that support these athletes in the ways in which career success can potentially challenge the social norms of African-American male athletes raised in urban communities upon being drafted into the professional level of team sports. |
