ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0600-0768

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Administrative and Instructional Leadership

First Advisor

James Coviello

Second Advisor

Stephen Kotok

Third Advisor

Catherine DiMartino

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the perceptions of Black women leading interscholastic sports programs. Prior research examined the underrepresentation of women in sports leadership, but no study has examined prejudice toward the Black woman in an interscholastic sports leadership role. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with Black women leading interscholastic athletics, using Kimberlé Crenshaw's intersectionality as a theoretical framework. This study sought to give voice to a select group of women who perceived being barred entry into the white-male-dominated field of interscholastic sports leadership by the Good Old Boys’ Network and the Good Old Girls’ Network. A phenomenological analysis found the following: racial and gender biases exist; there is a need for professional and personal care practices; and there is a need for policies to encourage Black women in interscholastic sports leadership. Suggestions for future research include using research designs, such as a case study, to focus a study on the Black female athletic director in her professional environment. Recommendations for future practice include professional development for all stakeholders in interscholastic athletics to understand why systemic bias persists against Black women in sports leadership. Additionally, like the NFL's Rooney Rule and the Russell Rule in intercollegiate basketball, create a new policy to open doors in interscholastic sports leadership for Black women, who, at the intersection of race and gender, have shouldered the biases faced by the underrepresented.

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