Introduction and Context
Within the last decade there has been increased attention in supporting elite refugee athletes through sport. This attention includes international teams in the Olympics and national teams within their new countries. Many of these athletes have competed internationally for their home countries and seek to do the same within Canada, a global leader in welcoming refugee athletes. However, refugee athletes’ experiences of transitioning into a new sports system, and subsequently how to best support these transitions, are unknown. The purpose of this research was to explore elite refugee athletes’ experiences of transitioning between their home and host national sporting organizations. This research broadens our understanding of a forced transition and culminates in a series of recommendations for sport organizations and staff to support elite refugee athletes. When supported, elite refugee athletes adapt to their transition demands and reciprocate positivity through dedicated competition and volunteer coaching within the community.
Methods
Partnering with members from the Olympic Refuge Foundation, we interviewed 14 elite refugee athletes who migrated to Canada and competed at the national or international level. The interview commenced with an arts-based drawing activity to foster participant comfort and establish a connection with the interviewer. This art was then used as a conversational centrepiece for athletes to share their experiences of transitioning into the Canadian sports system. The interview data was analyzed using a thematic analysis to create themes representing the athletes’ experiences.
Key Findings and Implications
The first theme, titled “Meaning and Migration” captured the athletes’ experiences when transitioning into the Canadian sports system. A transition refers to leaving one physical location for another in anticipation for sporting opportunities. Refugee athletes differ from other transitioning athletes, such as immigrant athletes leaving their countries, in that their initial migration is forced and not voluntary. The forced nature of these transitions meant that many refugee athletes experienced a chaos with multiple unforeseen barriers. These transitions often began with feelings of hope and empowerment as athletes felt safety from the conflict within their home countries. These positive feelings quickly turned into despair when they recognized the dissimilarities between their new country (Canada) and their previous home. These dissimilarities included changes in sport policy where they were no longer permitted to train or compete, lack of sporting infrastructure in rural settings, impacted finances, and difficulty connecting to others in a culturally different society. While all athletes experienced these barriers, athletes who were able to find personal meaning throughout this process adapted positively compared to those who did not.
Theme two, titled “Growth Following Adversity” allowed us to study the factors that facilitated athletes’ ability to find meaning. These factors were themed into individual factors and environmental factors. Regarding the former, athletes shared that it was their responsibility to heal from their pasts whilst working towards a vision for the future. This involved setting goals that were greater than oneself, such as being a positive role model for refugee youth and aligning personal values towards achieving these goals. Athletes also shared that the sporting organization and those within it, such as coaches and sports staff, facilitated their ability to find meaning if their personal differences were supported and embraced, staff made and effort to develop trusting relationships, and staff found ways to cultivate group belonging.
Resulting from these two themes are the following implications:
- Policies should be co-developed by refugee athletes to ensure that they accommodate the forced migration experience. Doing so will provide additional support to athletes as they navigate the barriers of their transitions.
- The barriers to athletes’ transitions are unavoidable. Athletes who can find meaning within their transition will adapt to their new contexts in healthy ways.
- Helping athletes find meaning involves creating environments that fosters growth and personal responsibility to search for meaning in their adversities. Sport organizations can develop this environment through three applied recommendations.
- Develop trust early in the relationship. Initial immersion into host country and sport environments can be lonely when introductions are not provided. A guided tour of the sporting organization introduces the athlete the sport environment and sports staff.
- As relationships develop, sports staff should support athletes’ personal differences. Supporting personal differences means that sports staff need to learn and appreciate the athlete’s needs. As these needs are shared, and trust continues to develop, sports staff can offer support where needed.
- Developing belonging. Shared meals, mentoring, and opportunities for athletes
to help with environmental tasks can deepen belonging.
Strengths and Limitations
This research was the first of its kind to explore elite refugee athletes’ experiences of transitioning into a new sports system. As such, its strength lies in the richness that came from 14 elite athletes. Of the 14 participants, three were female, and one of the limitations includes the representation of female athletes’ voices. Future researchers may want to explore the needs of female refugee athletes.
Conclusions and Next Steps
Unfortunately, with ongoing wars and conflict across the world, the trend of forced migration will seem to increase for the foreseeable future. This means that many elite athletes and their families will be searching continue their sport careers in new countries. Sport organizations can become a vessel that supports refugee athletes’ needs, and subsequently adapts to become culturally inclusive. In turn, refugee athletes will proudly represent Canada on the international stage and within their local communities. Continued exploration into how Canadian sport environments can, or have, assisted refugee athletes’ transitions into the Canadian sports system will unearth additional methods of support that can be shared nationally.