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Abstract

This research conceptualizes the NCAA Division I student-athlete position as similar to a position of employment utilizing the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model developed by Bakker & Demerouti (2017) from the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. We utilize qualitative methods to conduct an exploratory study that assesses the characteristics of student-athletes through analysis of perceived role demands, role resources, and personal resources using a sample of using a sample of 30 student-athletes (15 men, 15 women) at mostly large Division I universities across the U.S. Data were analyzed utilizing thematic analysis and revealed the various demands that student-athletes faced, as well as the many ways they navigated them with resources from their universities and their personal lives. Student-athletes face a variety of role demands addressing the student role, the athlete role, and a combination of the two roles. To manage these demands, student-athletes access numerous role resources, such as staff, facilities and support items, and events and policies. NCAA Division I student-athletes also utilize numerous personal resources, including relational and routine-based support. Findings support the use of the JD-R Model with student-athletes, encourage future work conceptualizing them using employment-related models and theories, and offer recommendations for supporting Division I student-athletes.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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