Student Identity Shapes High School Student-Athletes’ Division I Scholarship Selection

One decision very few high school student-athletes are faced with is which Division I athletic scholarship to accept. These highly coveted scholarships can cover for all expenses and provide support during and after the undergraduate experience. Yet, even if high school student-athletes accept a Division I offer, it doesn’t guarantee their success. Many athletes struggle with student identity as they try to remain eligible to complete at the Division I level. I draw from identity theory on figured worlds to investigate how student success as a Division I athlete is linked to negotiating their figured world of being a student as it informs their decision about which Division I scholarship to accept. Using data from interviews and observations, this study follows two elite high school student-athletes as they make their decision about which Division I scholarship to accept, and how their dual identities as students and athletes shaped their decision-making process.