Chasing the Dream: Canadian Track and Field Student-Athlete Migration to the NCAA Division I by Sarah Boyle A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Department of Exercise Sciences University of Toronto © Copyright by Sarah Boyle 2017 Chasing the Dream: Canadian Track and Field Student-Athlete Migration to the NCAA Division I Sarah Boyle Master of Science Department of Exercise Sciences University of Toronto 2017 Abstract While there is interest in understanding the motivations and experiences of student-athletes who migrate to the NCAA, there is a lack of data quantifying migration to the NCAA. Specifically, in the case of track and field, the last quantitative effort to identify Canadian student-athlete migration to the NCAA was published in the early 1990’s by John Bale. Using descriptive research methods, this thesis defines the population of Canadian track and field student-athletes who migrated to the NCAA DI between the 2005/06 and 2012/13 academic years. Results indicate that during this eight year period, 562 Canadian student-athletes migrated to the NCAA Division I to participate in track and field. Canadian track and field student-athletes who migrate to the NCAA Division I comprise more than half of the athletes competing internationally for the Canadian National Track and Field Team. ii Acknowledgments This project would not have been completed if it were not for the support of my supervisors, Peter Donnelly and Michael Atkinson. With a three-year hiatus to complete my Juris Doctorate at Osgoode Hall Law School, I have been afforded time to reflect on this research and appreciate the fruits of collecting systemic research data. Peter and Mike, I look up to you both and feel fortunate to have benefitted from your shared passion for always asking “why?” A special thank you also to Timur Taha, you are a great teacher and mentor, both on and off the track. And a final, and special thank you to Bart van Veghel and Joseph and Maureen Boyle. You consistently challenged me to reach further through your unconditional love and belief in the power of a good education. iii Table of Contents ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................................................... III LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................... VI LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................. VII LIST OF APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................ IX CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1 1.1 THE ISSUE .............................................................................................................................................1 1.2 PURPOSE ...............................................................................................................................................4 1.3 RESEARCHER BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................5 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................................................7 2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................7 2.2 UNDERSTANDING ATHLETE MIGRATION ..................................................................................7 2.2.1 GLOBALIZATION ................................................................................................................................7 2.2.2 DOCUMENTED MIGRATION FLOWS ....................................................................................................9 2.2.3 TRACK AND FIELD SPECIFIC RESEARCH .......................................................................................... 11 2.2.4 RESTRICTIONS ON MOVEMENT ....................................................................................................... 13 2.3 WHY THE NCAA? FACTORS DRIVING INTERNATIONAL STUDENT -ATHLETE MIGRATION ......... 15 2.4 THE COMMODIFICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT -ATHLETE ................................... 18 2.5 IMPACTS OF NCAA PARTICIPATION ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENT -ATHLETES ...................... 20 2.6 CANADA ’S RESPONSE TO STUDENT -ATHLETE MIGRATION TO THE NCAA ................................ 22 2.7 SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 3: METHODS .............................................................................................................. 30 3.1 PILOT STUDY .......................................................................................................................... 30 3.2 SUB -GROUP ............................................................................................................................ 30 3.3 DATA COLLECTION ................................................................................................................ 31 3.4 DATA ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................................... 33 iv 3.4.1 DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH AND SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS ........................................................ 33 CHAPTER 5: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS .................................................................................... 37 5.1 GENERAL POPULATION STATISTICS ........................................................................................ 37 5.1.1 OVERALL GROUP SIZE AND CONTEXT ........................................................................................... 37 5.1.2 STUDENT -ATHLETE MIGRATION BY EVENT GROUP ...................................................................... 44 5.2 MIGRATION ............................................................................................................................ 47 5.2.1 CHANGE IN NUMBER WITHIN THE NCAA DI PER YEAR – OVERALL ............................................. 47 5.2.2 MIGRATION MAPS .......................................................................................................................... 49 5.2.3 MIGRATION MAPS BY YEAR .......................................................................................................... 50 5.3.4 MIGRATION MAPS BY PROVINCE ................................................................................................... 61 5.3 POST NCAA DI COMPETITION ............................................................................................... 79 5.3.1 RETURN TO THE CIS ....................................................................................................................... 80 5.3.2 NATIONAL TEAM PARTICIPATION .................................................................................................. 81 5.3.3 NCAA DI INSTITUTIONS WHERE CANADIANS COMPETED POST NCAA DI COMPETITION ............ 82 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 86 6.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS .......................................................................................................... 86 6.2 LIMITATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 87 6.3 FUTURE DIRECTIONS .............................................................................................................. 89 6.4 FINAL WORDS ........................................................................................................................ 90 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................... 92 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................ 98 APPENDIX 1 - MASTER LIST OF CANADIAN TRACK AND FIELD STUDENT -ATHLETE MIGRATION TO THE NCAA DI BETWEEN 2005/06-2012/13 ....................................................................................................... 99 .................................................................................................................................................................... 99 APPENDIX 2 - CANADIAN TRACK AND FIELD STUDENT -ATHLETES COMPETING AT NCAA DI UNIVERSITIES BETWEEN 2005/06 – 2012/13 ............................................................................................ 127 v List of Tables Table 1: Data Collection Categories and Descriptions Table 2: Total Canadian track and field student-athlete migration data – by conference and event Table 3: Total student-athletes competing in U Sport in 2016/17 compared with the total number of student-athletes who migrated to the NCAA DI Table 4: Top 40 NCAA DI universities attended by Canadian track and field student-athletes between 2005/06 – 2012/13 Table 5: Academic Rank of Top 40 NCAA DI institutions attended by Canadian student- athletes Table 6: Number of Canadian track and field student-athletes in the NCAA