Factors Influencing Retention of Male Athletic Trainers in the NCAA Division I Setting

Context: Social support, autonomy, and job satisfaction are among the factors influencing female athletic trainers' decisions to remain in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I (NCAA D-I) setting, but the male perspective has not been documented. Objective: Identify factors that affect male athletic trainers' decisions to remain in the NCAA D-I setting. Design: Qualitative study. Participants: 11 male athletictrainers who averaged 6 ± 6 years of NCAA D-I clinical experience, 66 ± 10 working hours per week during the traditional sport season, and 34 ± 5 years of age. Data collection and analysis: In-depth, semistructured interviews. Two researchers followed the steps of a grounded theory study and analyzed data independently. Results: Two main persistence themes emerged from the data: (1) D-I atmosphere and (2) workplace environment. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that male athletic trainers remain in the NCAA D-I setting because of satisfaction with their employment, which includes a competitive atmosphere, strong coworker relationships, and support from their supervisors.