Race and Perception of Acceptance in Nontraditional Sports

Analysis of responses from 632 respondents to a survey representing 4 military and 4 college locations in the southeastern USA indicated that race was a significant factor in perceptions of “welcomeness” or acceptance for seven of 10 nontraditional sports (70%). These significant differences persisted across sex, income, education, and location categories. When “welcome” scale scores were ranked, however, a strong association in ranking (Spearman rho = .66, p < .05) was found among racial groups. While it appears that many African Americans rated being much less welcome in nontraditional sports than Euro-Americans, both racial groups were likely to agree on which nontraditional sports would be more “welcoming” to new participants.