Understanding the Experiences of Para-Collegiate Student-Athletes: A Mixed Methods Study

Experiences are the impressions developed through gaining, using, fostering, and sometimes disposing of a service or product. Recent years have shown an ongoing emphasis placed on experiences and their impacts; one of particular interest for this study are the experiences of para-collegiate student-athletes. Using the Experience Type Framework (ETF) and the Experience Impact Scale (EIS), the purpose of this study was to understand the experience of involvement in intercollegiate sports among student-athletes with disabilities. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, using quantitative and qualitative data to understand the student-athlete with disabilities experience. Phase I (n = 30) used the EIS to measure the impact of para-collegiate sports experiences, while Phase II used semi-structured interviews (n = 11) to identify characteristics of para-collegiate sports experiences. Findings from Phase I indicated that para-collegiate sports presented as highly impactful (23% Meaningful and 77% Transformative), and in Phase II, three overall themes emerged, one for each experience type: (1) importance of the disability community and development of life-long friendships (memorable), (2) holistic growth on and off the court for (meaningful), and (3) sense of purpose and self (transformative).