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'Obviously It's Worth It': The Value of Being a Canadian Student Athlete in the U.S.A.

'Obviously It's Worth It': The Value of Being a Canadian Student Athlete in the U.S.A. ‘Obviously it’s worth it’: The Value of being a Canadian Student Athlete in the U.S.A. Meghan Gilgunn ABSTRACT: Each year, young, elite Canadian athletes travel south to a end American col- leges and universities, funded in part by athletic scholarships. These ‘student athletes’ leave their home country to pursue opportunities they believe are only available in the U.S. The demands made on their time, fi nances, and personal wellbeing can be stag- gering. Yet for those who become student athletes, the value of the experience tends to be unquestionably identifi ed as being ‘worth it’. In this paper, I explore how this ex- hortation, repeated so readily by the individuals I interviewed during fi eldwork in the U.S., refl ects a complicated set of beliefs. This deceptively simple statement provides an entry point for understanding what Canadian student athletes fi nd valuable about their experience and how they believe it aff ords them a degree of personal distinction that would have been impossible had they stayed in Canada. KEYWORDS: beliefs, distinction, scholarships, student athletes, travel, well-being to do well in her classes as well as on the bas- Introduction ketball court, Evan was far more concerned about succeeding athletically. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Anthropology in Action Berghahn Books

'Obviously It's Worth It': The Value of Being a Canadian Student Athlete in the U.S.A.

Anthropology in Action , Volume 17 (1) – Mar 1, 2010

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References (11)

Publisher
Berghahn Books
Copyright
© 2022 Berghahn Books
DOI
10.3167/aia.2010.170106
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

‘Obviously it’s worth it’: The Value of being a Canadian Student Athlete in the U.S.A. Meghan Gilgunn ABSTRACT: Each year, young, elite Canadian athletes travel south to a end American col- leges and universities, funded in part by athletic scholarships. These ‘student athletes’ leave their home country to pursue opportunities they believe are only available in the U.S. The demands made on their time, fi nances, and personal wellbeing can be stag- gering. Yet for those who become student athletes, the value of the experience tends to be unquestionably identifi ed as being ‘worth it’. In this paper, I explore how this ex- hortation, repeated so readily by the individuals I interviewed during fi eldwork in the U.S., refl ects a complicated set of beliefs. This deceptively simple statement provides an entry point for understanding what Canadian student athletes fi nd valuable about their experience and how they believe it aff ords them a degree of personal distinction that would have been impossible had they stayed in Canada. KEYWORDS: beliefs, distinction, scholarships, student athletes, travel, well-being to do well in her classes as well as on the bas- Introduction ketball court, Evan was far more concerned about succeeding athletically.

Journal

Anthropology in ActionBerghahn Books

Published: Mar 1, 2010

Keywords: beliefs; distinction; scholarships; student athletes; travel; well-being

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