Yannick Kluch

Whereas scholars have established increasing insights into activism at the collegiate and professional sport levels, the U.S. high school context rarely has become the site of analysis for activist potential among sport scholars. As a result, it is the goal of this study to extend the sport activism literature by gaining a more rigorous understanding of the experiences of U.S. high school athlete activists. By drawing from elements of Youth Sociopolitical Development Theory (YSDT) and literature on activism in sport, we interviewed twelve high school athlete activists about their motivations for engaging in activism, the challenges they faced in doing so, as well as significant influences that informed their pursuit of activist endeavors. The goal of this study, therefore, is to empower high school athletes to utilize their platforms to advocate for positive social change. This study is funded through the Spencer Foundation.