Special Admission: How College Sports Recruitment Favors White, Suburban Athletes

Special Admission challenges the notion that college sports offer upward mobility by revealing how white middle-class youth are overrepresented on college teams. Through an institutional ethnography of an elite athletic and academic institution, Kirsten Hextrum explores the historical and contemporary relationships between colleges, athletics, and white middle-class communities, ensuring white suburban youth are advantaged in special athletic admissions. Athletic merit requires access to vast resources, which are concentrated in their neighborhoods, allowing white, middle-class athletes to accelerate their racial and economic advantages through admission to elite universities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 260 pages
Publication date: 13 August 2021
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Special Admission challenges the prevailing notion that college sports offer pathways to upward mobility. Through her in-depth institutional ethnography of a prestigious athletic and academic institution, Kirsten Hextrum explores how white middle-class youth are increasingly overrepresented on college teams. Conducting over 100 hours of interviews with college rowers and track & field athletes, she uncovers the historical and ongoing connections between colleges, athletics, and white middle-class communities that perpetuate advantages for white suburban youth in special athletic admissions.

From the outset, suburban youth have a head start in college admissions due to their athletic merit, which aligns with the competencies sought by university recruiters. These competencies often require access to substantial familial, communal, and economic resources, all of which are concentrated in their neighborhoods. As youth, parents, and coaches strategically invest in and engineer unique opportunities to maintain their race and class status, their advantages further amplify. Consequently, college sports provide a platform for white, middle-class athletes to accelerate their racial and economic advantages by securing admission to elite universities.

This phenomenon extends beyond mere admission opportunities. College sports offer a fertile ground for the perpetuation of privilege and discrimination. The recruitment and selection processes prioritize athletes with certain physical attributes, such as height, speed, and strength, often at the expense of students with diverse backgrounds and abilities. This selective process perpetuates stereotypes and biases, as certain racial and ethnic groups are consistently underrepresented in certain sports. Moreover, the financial resources and institutional support allocated to college sports favor predominantly white institutions, further exacerbating the existing inequalities in higher education.

To address these issues, it is crucial to challenge the dominant narratives surrounding college sports. We need to recognize the systemic inequalities that perpetuate privilege and discrimination within the sports industry. This requires a comprehensive examination of the policies, practices, and culture surrounding college sports, including the role of coaches, administrators, and fans. It also necessitates efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in college sports, including increased funding for programs that support underrepresented students and the development of more equitable recruitment and selection processes.

Furthermore, we must address the broader societal implications of college sports. Sports have the power to inspire, unite, and promote social change, but they can also perpetuate harmful stereotypes and biases. It is essential to use sports as a platform for education and awareness, promoting messages of equality, respect, and diversity. This can involve partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, and media outlets to promote positive messages and counter negative stereotypes.

In conclusion, Special Admission sheds light on the complex dynamics between college sports, white middle-class communities, and racial and economic inequalities. It highlights the need for a critical examination of the sports industry and society as a whole to promote fairness, diversity, and inclusion in college sports. By challenging the dominant narratives and promoting positive change, we can create a more equitable and just sports environment for all athletes and students.

Weight: 505g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978821217