UMass Boston

Research

Reports

The National Black Sport Participation Report exams Black youth, adolescents, and college student engagement in both recreational physical activities as well as competitive organized sport. It is a distinctive compilation with extensive research and can be used by sports leadership groups and educators alike. A key finding from the report highlighted that the youth sports participation racial opportunity gap is most pronounced between the ages of 6-12 where Black youth are less likely to participate in organized sports compared to their non-Black peers. Relatedly, the school sports structural resource gap was also identified from data analysis and refers to the lack of access to adequate facilities, staffing, and finances for the school sponsored sport participation at large public urban high schools compared to their public suburban and rural counterparts. At the postsecondary level, Black college athletes were more likely to report personal experiences with racism and/or racial trauma that negatively impacted their mental health compared to their non-Black college athlete peers.

Read the Full National Black Sport Participation Report

Publications

  • Black Sporting Resistance: Diaspora, Transnationalism, and Internationalism Book by Dr. Joseph N. Cooper (January 2025 publication date by Rutgers University Press) 
  • The Handbook of Sport Activism Co-Edited Book by Dr. Charles D.T. Macaulay and Dr. Joseph N. Cooper (Spring 2025 publication date by Peter Lang) 
  • Innovative Pedagogical Practices in Sport Management Co-Edited Book by Dr. Jessica Minkove, Dr. Ryan King-White, Dr. Ellen Staurowsky, Dr. David Pierce, Dr. Michael Odio, and Dr. Joseph N. Cooper (Spring 2025 publication date by International Scientific Publishing Ltd.) 

Upcoming Publications

  • Racial Equity Matters in Sport Report – College Sport Racial Wealth Gap (In Progress) 
  • Sport, Race, and Community Wellness Index (In Progress) 
  • National Black Student Athlete Report (In Progess) 
  • UMass Press Book Series - Interdisciplinary Sport Studies (Under Development) 
  • Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Boston Community Sport Landscape Equity Analysis (In Progress) 
  • Change The Game Coalition (In Progress) 
  • B.E.A.C.O.N. Cares Mental Education Program (starting Fall 2024 semester) 
  • Sport for Social Change Innovation SEED Funding Program (Under Development) 
  • Innovative Sport Research Labs (Under Development)