ABSTRACT
Professional athletes play an important role in addressing issues of social justice and promoting critical dialogues in society (Edwards, 2016). While the history of athlete activism can be traced back to the early twentieth century (Moore, 2017), recently athletes have spoken out about social issues that transcend sport (Modiano, 2017; Tredway, 2020). Though scholars have examined what Edwards (2016) has called the “fourth wave of athlete activism,” little is known about how various stakeholders perceive the activities of athlete activists. Specifically, scholars have yet to examine the perceptions of high school athletes regarding athlete activism. Further, little is known about if and how young athletes incorporate the messages of prominent athlete activists into their own identities. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to discuss the results of a focus group study on high school athletes’ perceptions of athlete activism. Six focus groups comprised of four to six high school male and female athletes were conducted (Smith & Sparkes, 2014), and the analysis yielded three major thematic categories related to youth sporting identities, activism, and education, and the next generations’ attitudes toward social agency and social change. Results are discussed and related to discourses around youth culture and identity, and sport management.
