The Importance of Culture: Understanding Black Female College Athletes’ Health and Well-Being

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to illuminate how culture affects Black female college athletes’ (BFCA) experiences of well-being. In 2014, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), released the Mind, Body, and Sport Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Wellness manual as a way to address student-athlete health and wellbeing. Health and well-being have multiple definitions, for example the World Health Organization states that health encompasses well-being as it is “the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 2000). Identifying Black female college athletes health and wellbeing is necessary as BFCAs remain marginalized and silenced within institutions of higher education and sport. Their experiences are demarked by social (e.g., racism, sexism, and classism) and political barriers (e.g., access, representation); affect her ability to cope with an oppressive institution and society; and manage her health and well-being. Employing a Black Feminist Thought lens, BFCAs’ contemporary cultural realities will be examined to promote inclusivity and equity of best practices and treatment within college sport.

Poster
Promotion Opioid usage in Hip-Hop lyrics and Sports

The opiates issues have become a public crisis with a distractive consequences. According to the National Institution on Drug Abuse (NIDA, 2017) 115 people in the United States died after overdosing on opioid.Usage in hip-hop music such as “pop a Molly I’m sweating” by Trinidad James. Song lyrics may influence people mentally and physically. Within the range of sports, hip-hop music is used in various aspects and venues on all level of play. Through  this possible cultural  influence of opiate consumption in hip-hop lyrics, there may be a change in the perception of the effects by the athletes.The purpose of the study is to explore the potential relationship of the increase expression of opiate usage (such as Molly) with and hip-hop music by young African-American male hip-hop artist and the athletes who are listening.