The effects of racial categorization activation: an investigation in soccer academies

Abstract

The aim of this research is to test the effect of racial categorization activation on the sport satisfaction of newcomers' trainees of soccer academies. One hundred and four participants from four French soccer academies were enrolled - two with an unbalanced racial group composition and two with a balanced composition. Results show that in soccer academies with a balanced racial composition, the sports satisfaction of the black trainees remains relatively stable over time and it decreases among the white students, whereas the evolution of the scores for blacks and whites does not differ significantly in the unbalanced racial composition. The impact of the effects of racial categorization on the sport satisfaction of black and white trainees of soccer academies is discussed.