• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Running head: SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF ELITE FIRST NATIONS, INUIT, AND MÉTIS ATHLETES Success Strategies of Elite First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Athletes Maria Johanne Jacko Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Human Kinetics School of Human Kinetics Faculty of Health Sciences University of Ottawa © Maria Jacko, Ottawa, Canada, 2014 SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF ELITE FIRST NATION, INUIT, AND MÉTIS ATHLETES Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Terry Orlick for his guidance and his expertise. He provided me with great insight and I was honoured to have him as my supervisor. From day one, Dr. Orlick was an inspiration for this study, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work with him. I give my sincere gratitude to my committee members, Dr. Diane Culver and Dr. Tanya Forneris, who provided me with great advice and feedback. I feel my research was greatly enhanced with their direction. Moreover, I would like to thank the eight elite athletes for taking the time to participate in this study, and for being very open and honest in sharing their experiences. I was truly inspired by each of their unique stories, and I loved hearing their journeys to excellence. I would like to extend my appreciation to Theresa Buckshot, Philippe Boucher, James Galipeau, Brittany Glynn, Penny Jacko, and Douglas Odjick, who supported and helped me with my research. Finally, I thank my daughters Jennifer, Drew, and Sienna, who were patient with me while doing my research. SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF ELITE FIRST NATION, INUIT, AND MÉTIS ATHLETES ABSTRACT 1 INTRODUCTION 2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 5 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 6 HISTORY OF FIRST NATIONS, INUIT, AND MÉTIS PEOPLE 6 SPORT AND SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 8 SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF ELITE ATHLETES 9 STUDY OF ELITE ABORIGINAL ATHLETES BEING COACHED IN MAINSTREAM SOCIETY 13 NATIVE AMERICAN ELITE ATHLETE JIM THORPE 15 CATHY FREEMAN 20 METHODOLOGY 22 ABOUT ME 22 PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY 24 TABLE 1. DETAILS OF THE EIGHT ELITE ATHLETES AND THEIR SPORT. 26 MEASURES 26 CONFIDENTIALITY 29 DATA ANALYSIS 29 TRUSTWORTHINESS 31 RESULTS 32 SUCCESS ELEMENTS 32 TABLE 2. SUCCESS ELEMENTS OF ELITE FIRST NATIONS, INUIT, AND MÉTIS ATHLETES. 33 OBSTACLES 34 TABLE 3. A LIST OF THE ELITE ATHLETES AND THEIR IDENTIFIED OBSTACLES. 34 ADVICE FOR YOUNG ATHLETES 34 TABLE 4. ADVICE FOR FIRST NATIONS, INUIT, AND MÉTIS YOUTH. 34 ELITE ATHLETE’S STORIES 36 ATHLETE 1: MARY SPENCER 36 ATHLETE 2: DALLAS SOONIAS 47 ATHLETE 3: JOHN CHABOT 55 ATHLETE 4: GINO ODJICK 67 ATHLETE 5: JORDIN TOOTOO 78 ATHLETE 6: BILLY MILLS 83 ATHLETE 7: WANEEK HORN-MILLER 96 SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF ELITE FIRST NATION, INUIT, AND MÉTIS ATHLETES ATHLETE 8: CAROLINE CALVE 111 DISCUSSION 121 STORYTELLING 121 SUCCESS ELEMENTS 122 OBSTACLES 127 LIMITATIONS 129 FUTURE RESEARCH CONSIDERATIONS 130 FINAL SUMMARY 131 CONCLUSION 133 REFERENCES 134 APPENDIX A 138 APPENDIX B 140 SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF ELITE FIRST NATIONS, INUIT, AND MÉTIS ATHLETES 1 Abstract The purpose of this study was to interview elite First Nations, Inuit, and Métis athletes to gain an in-depth understanding of their personal journeys to excellence. Limited research has been conducted on elite First Nations, Inuit, and Métis athletes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and a narrative analysis was used to analyze the research findings. The specific objectives of this study were to better understand the success strategies used by each athlete; to explore the obstacles each athlete faced on their way to the top of their sport; and to elicit the advice they would give to young First Nations, Inuit, or Métis athletes who want to attain a similar high level goal in sport. The main success strategies shared that reportedly helped these high performance Aboriginal athletes excel in their sport included: focus, mental preparation for competition, parental support, passion, and positive self-talk. Multiple obstacles were faced by the athletes in this study, with racism and leaving home being common challenges. The advice that these athletes provided for young and aspiring First Nations, Inuit, and Métis athletes was rich and inspiring. For example, elite female boxer Mary Spencer shared that some lessons can only be learned through experience. The practical findings of this study provide useful information for aspiring Aboriginal athletes and open the door for future meaningful applied research, that may lead to reducing the gaps in the literature. SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF ELITE FIRST NATIONS, INUIT, AND MÉTIS ATHLETES 2 Success Strategies of Elite First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Athletes There are very few First Nations, Inuit, and Métis athletes in Canada who perform at an elite level (for example, at the Olympic or Professional level). Many obstacles, including historical and current situational factors, make it very difficult for a First Nation, Inuit, or Métis person to become an elite athlete (Schinke et al., 2007). What is it that drives, influences, or frees First Nations youth who do become high performance athletes? Did they grow up in remote communities, on reserves, or were they raised in urban settings? How did they overcome the enormous obstacles that First Nations people face daily? Did they feel they had a lot of support from people around them when they first got involved in their sport? If yes, where did this support, or belief in themselves, or belief in their potential come from (family, friends, school, other people on their reserve or in their community, teachers, coaches, or other athletes they competed against)? How were they able to make it to the elite level or live their dream – when so many First Nations people view it as an impossible goal? The primary purpose of this study was to interview elite First Nations, Inuit, and Métis athletes to gain a more in-depth understanding of their personal journeys to excellence. Elite First Nations, Inuit, and Métis athletes were asked to share their personal journeys to excellence, from their own perspectives, to help us better understand what they feel influenced them, drove them, motivated them or helped them succeed at these high levels. They were also asked what they felt hindered their progress, or created obstacles for them on their journey to the top, and how they managed to overcome those obstacles to reach their goals or live their dreams. This study also had a larger aim, which was to inspire First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth to participate in sport and compete in sport at the highest levels. There are many potential benefits for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people participating in sport, including overall SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF ELITE FIRST NATIONS, INUIT, AND MÉTIS ATHLETES 3 confidence enhancement, and overcoming many of the health problems associated with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people: These health problems include obesity, alcohol and/or drug abuse and an absence of regular physical activity (Waldram, Herring, & Young, 2007). According to the 2006 Aboriginal1 Peoples Survey, Aboriginal peoples are comprised of three different minority groups (of people) in Canada; First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Aboriginal peoples make up 3.8% of the Canadian population with 1,172,790 people. Moreover, the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey report that there are 732, 520 First Nations people, 50, 485 Inuit people, and 389,785 Métis people living in Canada. The 2002-2003 First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey reported that common health problems among First Nations people across Canada include: heart disease, diabetes, alcoholism, high rates of smoking, lack of exercise, obesity, suicide, and ill health in general. The 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey report that the most common health problems of Inuit included high rates of smoking, tuberculosis, arthritis, and high blood pressure. Furthermore, the most common health problems found among the Métis were arthritis, high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes. Each of these health problems have the potential to be reduced through increased involvement in sports and physical (Cox, 2013). As a First Nations person, when I think of elite First Nations athletes, the Olympics immediately come to mind. Looking back in history, Jim Thorpe, from the Sac and Fox nation in Oklahoma, USA, was the first recognized Native American2 to participate in the Olympics. He won two gold medals, one in pentathlon, and another in decathlon, in the 1912 Olympics (Buford, 2010). Billy Mills from the Oglala Lakota Tribe in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, USA, is another recognized Native American who participated in the Olympics and performed at a very 1In this study, First Nation, Inuit, and Métis will be used interchangeably with the term Aboriginal. 2 Native American is an American term. It is equivalent to the term 'First Nation'. SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF ELITE FIRST NATIONS, INUIT, AND MÉTIS ATHLETES 4 high level. He won a gold medal in the 10,000 meter race during the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. In Canada, one of the first highly recognized First Nations individual to win a gold medal in the Olympics was Alwyn Morris, a Mohawk from Kahnawake, Quebec. He won two medals in the 1984 summer Olympics, a gold medal in the K-2 1000 meter, and a bronze in the K-2 500 meter flat water kayaking events (Orlick & Partington, 1986). These are some of the first people who come to mind when I think of First Nations people in the Olympics. In addition to learning more details about the journeys of exceptional First Nations people/athletes like the ones mentioned above, I also hope that this study will contribute to more First Nations people becoming inspired to participate in sport and pursue their dreams. Purpose of the Study The central purpose of this study was to interview elite First Nations, Inuit, and Métis athletes to gain a more in-depth understanding of their personal journeys to excellence.

Load more

  155

Copy Link