(Block 3) Workshop

The Impact on Latino Athletes in an Emerging Soccer (Football) Program

Hosted by: Curtis Good, Adjunct Professor in Sports Management, Kent State University

Workshop description: In 2022, a remarkable thing happened at Orrville City Schools. After decades of watching neighboring schools and conference rivals, the school, for the first time in their history, started a school-sponsored soccer program for female athletes. Today, the program is able to tout a varsity-level team that will compete competitively in 2023.

Beyond the establishment of the program is a team makeup that stands in opposition of the rest of the county, where Wayne County is nearly 97 percent white, the school has an enrollment of 6 percent percent Hispanic students and the girls' team has a disproportionally positive representation of players with Latino heritage.

This presentation will share the qualitative insights of these Latino athletes on their (A) overall reaction to the formation of a girls team, (B) how team involvement impacts their mental and physical health, and (C) their insights on friends and family feel about their involvement. Through the use of group interviews, the overall impact of newly emerging varsity program will be discussed in detail.