Along ethnic lines: A quantitative analysis of football athletes' interest in coaching as a career

This study posed two questions: first, are there any significant differences related to ethnicity in the five social cognitive career theory factors? Second, is there a significant difference between an athlete's interest and intention in the coaching career based on the ethnicity of his position coach or coordinator? A sample of student-athletes (N=134) who were members of the football team at three Division I institutions in the Southeast were targeted. The results indicated differences between black and white athletes for both self-efficacy (p=.009) and barriers (p<.0005). This supported the hypotheses that black athletes would have lower self-efficacy and perceive higher barriers to coaching as a career. In seeming contradiction, there were no significant differences between the athletes' interest in and intention to enter coaching as a profession. There were no significant differences between the athlete's interest in and intention to coaching as a career based on the ethnicity of their position coach or coordinator.