International Journal of Sport Management

Examination of Policy Influences on Player Migration and Socio-Cultural Impacts in European Professional Basketball

Katja Sonkeng, Jepkorir-Rose Chepyator-Thomson

Abstract: Sport labor migration has increasingly become of utmost importance in global contexts albeit being a phenomenon that has always been an integral part of human history (e.g., Cimen, Eraslan, & Sarol, 2019; French, 2018; Orlowski, Wicker, & Breuer, 2018). Whether involuntarily as asylum seekers or voluntarily as skilled labor, humans move beyond their homelands in search of better economic and social pastures. The purpose of this study was to examine policy influences on player migration and socio-cultural impacts in European professional basketball. Guided by transnational theory, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Findings revealed policies that influenced player migration such as the practice of varying quota systems in European professional basketball leagues, the presence of lucrative avenues for athlete involvement in different countries and cultures and opportunities for professional and personal growth. The findings also showed common challenges that players faced like performance pressure and existential concerns of players in host countries. Implications from this study include the potential for international athletes to use their playing experiences as a stepping-stone for social and economic opportunities, and as an enabler of character development upon weathering adversity and problematic situations away from the comfort and familiarity of their home countries.

Keywords: sport labor migration, European professional basketball, eligibility policies

Citation: Sonkeng, K., & Chepyator-Thomson, J. R. (2020). Examination of policy influences on player migration and socio-cultural impacts in European professional basketball. International Journal of Sport Management, 21(2), 101-130.

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