182 - The Intricate Paradox of Allyship in Collegiate Sport

This research aims to explore how allyship is experienced among student-athletes. We conducted five focus groups to gauge first-hand stories of student-athletes who are members of culturally marginalized groups, as well as members from historically dominant groups. Specifically, the research focused on how student-athletes from various backgrounds attempt (or fail) to work together to jointly establish a sense of belonging on their collegiate sports teams. Using co-cultural theory and dominant group theory as theoretical frameworks, and focus groups as the method, the analysis reveals a paradox in how allyship is viewed between different groups. Such paradoxes included the themes of action/inaction, relationship building and complications to it, and the internal/external work done by student-athlete allies.