Athletics in Rural America

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Shannon Cox.
Dr. Michael Seipel, Faculty Mentor.

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Athletics are important in rural areas for community pride and entertainment, and as an outlet for many of America’s secondary school student athletes. Student athletes often perceive pressure to win from coaches or parents. For the first phase of this study, open-ended interviews with 15 athletes from rural Iowa were conducted to explore their experiences as athletes in small communities. For the second phase, 40 varsity collegiate (Division II) athletes were surveyed about their experience as high school athletes. The survey asked them about perceived pressure from parents, coaches, and community members; differential treatment for athletes and non-athletes by faculty members; community support for athletics; and emphasis placed on academics versus athletics. These data were analyzed to compare experiences of athletes in rural and non-rural towns.