Japanese international student-athletes’ adjustment experience at the National Collegiate Athletic Association

ISA adjustment experience

It has been suggested that the adjustment process of ISAs differs from that of other international students (Ridinger, 1998). Popp et al. (2009) investigated international and domestic student athletes’ adjustment to US universities and their differing views regarding the purpose of college sports. The results revealed that international students were less socially adjusted and less likely to belong to an organization than domestic students. Although the literature on ISA experiences at US universities is mixed, with both positive and negative findings (Connell, 2007), many studies have shown that ISAs face academic and social difficulties at US universities. In particular, ISAs whose native language is not English may struggle to meet the NCAA’s academic eligibility requirements (Connell, 2007).

Pierce et al. (2011) expanded on Ridinger and Pastore’s (2000b) preliminary study of ISAs to examine the most significant challenges faced in the first year of college by surveying a diverse population. In that study, 355 student-athletes from 15 NCAA Division I schools responded to the survey, 192 of which were from countries other than the US. The results revealed that homesickness, adjustment to US culture, and language were the three most common concerns of ISAs (Ridinger & Pastore, 2000b). Andrade (2005) examined the transitional issues unique to international students during their first year at a US university. Many of the challenges faced by international students are related to adjusting to a new environment, leaving home for the first time, developing effective study habits, and choosing a major. While some of these overlap with domestic students from the US, these potential challenges are magnified by language barriers and cultural differences for international students. Comeaux and Harrison (2011) reported that striking the right balance between academic and athletic life can be challenging for student-athletes in transition, who must constantly negotiate the dual roles of student and athlete. They suggest that these competing roles, coupled with time demands, can interfere with academic and athletic performance.

Research design

This study used a unique case study design (Yin, 2003) focusing on the challenges faced by Japanese ISAs in adapting to a US university, and a single case study (Patton, 2002). The purpose of a case study is to better understand a complex educational and social phenomenon, while at the same time retaining meaningful specificity in a real-world context (Yin, 2003).

Sampling

Purposeful sampling (Patton, 2002) was chosen for this study to gather a wealth of information regarding the research question. The selection of participants for the case study was conducted by contacting student-athletes who met the selection criteria for inclusion and directly inviting them to participate in the study. Because of the limited number of Japanese ISAs in DI at the NCAA who were eligible, we followed the findings of Guest et al. (2006) and aimed to recruit a minimum of 12 participants. The target group consisted of 13 individuals (six males and seven females) who met the following selection criteria and volunteered to participate in the study: (1) Japanese citizenship, (2) Japanese primary and secondary education, and (3) at least 1 year of experience as an ISA in the NCAA’s DI program. These participants had received Japanese education from childhood. All participants were considered to have experienced the adjustment issues described by Connell (2007) and Comeaux and Harrison (2011) when they entered US universities.

Participants

The participants were 13 Japanese ISAs who volunteered for the study. There were no minors among the subjects. All participants were adults who have Japanese nationality. Nine enrolled in college during the study period, and four had already graduated. Six were male, and seven were female. Four played soccer, three played golf, two played American football, two played ice hockey, one played basketball, and one played tennis.

Ethical approval and consent

The authors were accepted to conduct this study from the institutional ethics committee of the University of Tsukuba (Tai 021-82). Many of the subjects were living in the U.S., and it was difficult to receive their signatures in writing in person due to the geographical distance from Japan, where the researchers are located, and the restrictions on travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we retain the video recording of the verbal consent and the documentation of the content and date of the informed consent. This informed consent process was approved by the ethics committee of the university.

Data collection

The data collection method consisted of face-to-face semi-structured interviews with each participant to obtain information about the challenges they faced in adjusting to college as Japanese ISAs. The research ethics committee at the University of Tsukuba approved the study before the interviews were conducted.

Semi-structured interviews

Each participant was interviewed using a semi-structured interview technique (Yin, 2003). Specifically, we used an interview guide consisting of 17 questions about the challenges the participants experienced in adjusting to college as Japanese ISAs. The questions primarily asked about experiences related to academic, social, athletic, personal-emotional and school institutional adjustment in college. The questions were developed on the basis of previous research (Ridinger & Pastore, 2000a; Popp et al., 2010). Participants were interviewed using an online conferencing system, and interviews typically lasted 60 to 90 minutes. Interviews were conducted for each participant between July 2 and July 16, 2021. As needed, follow-up questions to clarify participants’ comments were asked by phone (Shuy, 2002) or email (Meho, 2006). After this process, the researcher transcribed the interviews, returned the transcribed data to all participants, and conducted member checks (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Patton, 2002) via email (Meho, 2006). This process ensured that the transcribed data accurately represented the participants’ views and experiences of adjusting to college. The full interview guide in Japanese can be found in the Extended data (Matsuo et al., 2022). Table 1 is the list of the questions under which the themes arose.

Trustworthiness and data analysis

The purpose of triangulation is to assess the accuracy of the data rather than to seek universal truths (Merriam, 1998). Triangulation used multiple perspectives, including data from interviews, which were interpreted through the ISA’s adaptive model lens. Member checks were conducted to mitigate the effects of subjective bias (Patton, 2002), and copies of the transcribed interview data were emailed to individual participants. Participants confirmed the accuracy of the data and the researcher’s interpretation of the data to ensure that reliability had been established (Merriam, 1998).

Peer debriefing was conducted by two qualitative researchers with expertise and experience in this area, who determined that the interpretation of the data was accurate and representative of the participants’ statements. A continuous comparative analysis method (Klapwijk & Boeije, 2010) was used to interpret the data, enabling a comparison of different pieces of data in detail. Specifically, the first and second authors independently coded potentially meaningful data from each participant’s interview transcript. Any differences were discussed until consensus was reached. Two additional peer debriefers then checked the codes to avoid researcher bias. The coded data from each participant’s records were compared to identify similarities and differences. All data and keyword definitions were returned to participants for a second member check. After receiving final confirmation from all participants, the researcher grouped the codes into thematic categories, then narrowed them down into recurring themes (Klapwijk & Boeije, 2010).

Theme 1: Challenges of academic adjustment

This theme represents participants’ difficulties with academic adjustment related to coursework, classes, and assignments. Ten participants experienced language barriers related to their academic work and had difficulty understanding the course content in English and speaking in class. For example, Kusanagi explained that. The findings are reported using pseudonyms to disguise the identities of participants.

Kusanagi reported that his English skills were not good enough to understand what the professor said in class, or to comprehend the assignments. He had difficulty coping with classes and assignments in an unfamiliar language. Another participant, Nagase, described her difficulties with speaking English in class. She stated that she lacked confidence in her English because she was not a native speaker, which acted as a psychological barrier and made her hesitant to speak up.

Nagase had particular difficulty participating in group discussions and seemed unable to speak her mind with confidence. Furthermore, four of the participants mentioned cultural differences in terms of academic studies. For example, Ohishi was perplexed by the difference between the teaching style at the US university and that in Japanese school classes.

After years of experience with the one-way lecture teaching style in Japan, Ohishi noted that he had difficulty adapting to the small-group, discussion-based teaching style at the US university.

Theme 2: Challenges of social adjustment

This theme represents participants’ difficulties in social adjustment in building relationships. In particular, nine participants were confronted with social and cultural differences, and experienced difficulties regarding differences in background experiences, perceptions, and communication styles. For example, Sugimoto explains.

Sugimoto stated that cultural differences were the biggest challenge she faced. She felt bewildered by the differences from Japanese customs and mindset when building relationships with teammates from diverse backgrounds. Moreover, she felt stressed by this gap. In contrast, Matayoshi reported that differences in communication styles were challenging to adapt to.

Matayoshi found it challenging to transition from the Japanese-specific communication style he had experienced during his life in Japan to the frank, opinionated communication style required in the US. In addition, the fact that they could not communicate everything they wanted to say in English made communication even more difficult. In addition, seven of the participants mentioned building relationships. For example, Nagase, as a racial minority on the team, felt uncomfortable in his relationships with his teammates.

Nagase described his experience on a predominantly white ice hockey team. She had difficulty socially adjusting because of the lack of teammates with similar cultural backgrounds. As a result, they had difficulty building mutual understanding and respectful relationships. In addition, Yazawa mentioned building relationships with coaches.

Yazawa had a good relationship with his coaches while playing as an American football team member. However, he had experienced being ignored by specific coaches who discriminated against Asians, and he described his experience of being exposed to cultural bias. Five of the participants also mentioned difficulties related to the social language barrier. For example, Yokota explained.

Yokota seemed to have difficulty conversing with young people because of the slang they used. Because she had not learned this language in Japan or at language schools, she was confused when slang was used in everyday conversation and she could not understand it.

Theme 3: Challenges of competitive adjustment

This theme represented difficulties with competitive performance, relationships, and competitive adjustments related to conditioning, such as diet and injuries. Eleven participants mentioned their on-field performance, including gaining playing opportunities, gaps in physique and athletic ability, and tactical adjustments. For example, Nagase discussed gaining playing opportunities as follows.

Nagase seemed to have a hard time with this situation, not only immediately after entering the university, but always needing to compete within the team to win playing opportunities. Inoue also described the gap in physical size and athletic ability as follows.

Inoue felt a gap between her physique and athletic ability, which were acceptable when she played in Japan, and those of players in the US. She attempted to adapt to this gap by training her physique and improving her play prediction ability. As a result, she has been able to play successfully in the NCAA. Furthermore, four participants mentioned diet, including diet quality and access to Japanese food, in relation to their competitive adjustment. For example, Nagase stated that.

Nagase was not satisfied with the quality of the food provided in the university dormitory and was not eating the kind of food he wanted. Participants who mentioned diet seemed to relate it to athletic adjustments based on their perceived diet as necessary for athletic performance.

Theme 4: Challenges of personal emotional adjustment

This theme represented difficulties with personal emotional adjustment, and factors related to climate that affect psychological and emotional states. Eight participants mentioned changes in their psychological state, including homesickness, lack of motivation, and loneliness. For example, Sugimoto described homesickness in the following way.

Sugimoto seemed to feel homesick because of the stress caused by cultural differences and living away from his parents for the first time when he enrolled in a US university. In addition, Ohishi described a loss of motivation.

Ohishi felt that soccer was the one sport where he could express himself as a student-athlete. If he did not do well in that sport, it would be difficult to maintain motivation for his entire college life and academic work. In addition, Ando described his sense of loneliness as follows.

Data felt lonely because she was far away from her parents and, like her teammates, her parents could not come to support her in her golf game. This situation occurred because of the geographical distance from Japan, and she had to accept an environment in which she could not receive the support of her parents. Five participants also mentioned the climate, including cold and inclement weather. For example, Nagase described how cold weather was related to personal emotional adjustment.

Nagase described the region’s climate where he attends his university as often being depressing, especially in the winter, with low temperatures and a lot of snow. He also mentioned that this feeling was not limited to international students. Thus, adjustment to the climate appeared to be necessary for ISAs depending on their locations.

Theme 5: Challenges of institutional attachment

This theme represented difficulties with school institutional adjustments related to NCAA rules and university systems. Five participants mentioned NCAA rules, including training volume, frequency, and eligibility. For example, Yazawa discussed training volume and frequency as follows.

Yazawa described the gap between his playing experience in Japan, where it is normal to undertake a lot of training, and the amount and frequency of training required by NCAA rules. Regarding football, Yazawa felt that he did not have enough time to prepare appropriately for a short period between practices, which included contact. Kusanagi also described eligibility as follows.

Kusanagi mentioned that to maintain eligibility in the NCAA, he needed to obtain sufficient academic grades. This situation is very different from the Japanese educational system, and participants seemed to have difficulty balancing sports and academic studies. In addition, five participants referred to the characteristics and services offered by the university. Sugimoto, for example, described this issue as follows.

Sugimoto was not satisfied with the facility he used for tennis practice. However, he had to adapt to the inconvenience of using a different facility, which is not something the individual student can control. Thus, adapting to NCAA regulations and the university itself also challenged the Japanese ISAs.

Limitations of the study

This study involved several limitations. First, the study was limited to the perspectives of a small number of Japanese ISAs. Incorporating the voices of more participants could potentially improve the breadth of perspective and comprehensiveness of the findings. Second, this study did not allow for more extended conversations or interviews with participants. This may have limited the depth of information gathered and possibly participants’ openness to telling their stories. However, these limitations did not undermine the truthfulness of participants’ interview responses, their consent to share the recorded data, or the researcher’s interpretation through member checks or email follow-up. These limitations should be addressed in future studies.

Recommendations and conclusions

The Japanese ISAs who participated in this study faced academic, social, athletic, personal-emotional, and institutional attachment challenges. In this context, Japanese ISAs differed from ISAs from other countries in several ways. Participants seemed to be perplexed by cultural differences, differences in communication styles, and systemic differences in academics and athletics between Japan and the US. First, as an academic adjustment issue, one respondent felt difficulty expressing her own opinions in discussions because of the gap between the lecture-oriented teaching style in Japan and her tendency to match her own opinions with the generally accepted correct answers. Therefore, Japanese students who wish to play in the ISA in the NCAA may find it valuable to gain experience through private services to familiarize themselves with the discussion-based teaching style or study abroad in a country where the teaching style is similar to that of the US. Alternatively, universities and coaches must recognize such issues and provide appropriate support. Second, regarding social adjustment challenges, participants struggled with cultural differences from Japan, such as differences in background experiences, perceptions, and communication styles.

Furthermore, when building relationships with teammates and coaches, we found that some Japanese ISAs experienced communication-based prejudice because they were Asian minorities on the team. It would be difficult to deal with these perspectives, even for students living a typical university lifestyle in Japan. Therefore, to achieve smooth adjustment, it is necessary to build more relationships with people who are culturally and linguistically diverse, and, in the process, to deepen mutual understanding of various cultures and beliefs. In addition, universities and coaches need to understand the nature of Japanese ISAs and come to terms with each other. Third, differences in language and cultural backgrounds seemed to impact the challenges of competitive adjustment. Japanese student-athletes are not only required to adapt as competitors to succeed at the high level of NCAA Division I competition but also to adapt as students in a different culture and language environment at the same time. Therefore, Japanese ISAs need to understand the complex adjustments required, coupled with the linguistic and cultural distance between Japan and the US. Universities and coaches need to ascertain the extent to which they can adapt to Japanese ISAs, not only athletically but also in other aspects, and to provide appropriate support if there are factors affecting athletic performance because of insufficient adjustment. Fourth, participants felt homesickness, lack of motivation, and loneliness during the adjustment process. It was inferred that social anxiety resulting from language and cultural adjustment difficulties played significant roles in their emotional challenges, rather than simply experiencing loneliness as a result of being away from their parents. When Japanese ISAs are unable to adjust appropriately to their new environment, they tend to have adverse emotional reactions, which can be addressed by having positive dialogue and identifying the adjustment issues contributing to their reactions. Fifth, regarding institutional attachment issues, some participants seemed to have difficulty adapting to NCAA rules, which were very different from the school sports system in Japan. While the NCAA and many of its rules are well-informed and well-known in the US, many ISAs may not be familiar with the organization, structure, or member institutions. Therefore, to limit the impact of culture shock on Japanese ISAs, it is recommended that information be provided in advance about competition and college life in the US, student visas, and facts and figures about other international students’ college experiences. By identifying college adjustment challenges among Japanese ISAs, the current study encourages a better understanding of Japan, which is likely to become an increasingly important recruiting market for US universities in the future.