1. Black Male Student Athletes Virginia School Counselor Association Conference 2015
Paul C. Harris, Ph.D.
Najwa Tatby, UVA Graduate Student
Sarah Wiener, UVA Graduate Student

2. Learning Plan Your experiences Empowerment Theory
College & Career Readiness
Research question
Small group results report
Small group action plan

3. What’s your experience with Black male student athletes?

4. Empowerment Theory

5. Empowerment Theory
“The process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals…..can take action to improve their situations” (Gutierrez, 1995)

7. What is the impact of a group counseling intervention on Black male student athletes?

8. Themes Sense of Self Connection/Brotherhood
Mike: “I just feel like [the group] helped me improve myself. Find out who I am”
Rashad: “It helped, like open my eyes to the future mostly.”
Derrick: “I could really open up and like say my true feelings about anything.”
Connection/Brotherhood
Tim: “Trust….I could trust everybody in that group
Mike: “It was just like a place where you could just share anything you want….Just a place that welcomes with open arms.

9. Small-Group Action Plan

10. Session 1: Introduction
Build cohesion
Purpose of group
Confidentiality
Homework
Participants will complete a genogram (try to go back at least 2 generations) – include siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, etc. Note strengths within individual family members.

11. Session 2: Discovering Strengths
Genogram sharing
Highlight and reinforce strengths
Homework
Write a word statement to this question: “Who am I without the ball?”

12. Session 3: Who Am I Without The Ball?
Statement sharing
Discussion of athletic identity concept
Homework
Write a statement of purpose

13. Session 4: Men Passionately Pursuing Purpose
Statement sharing
720
S.M.A.R.T. goals
Homework
Participants will write a emotional, academic, and career oriented goal that aligns with their statement of purpose.
Participants will write what dynamics are in and out of their control as it relates to pursuing purpose.

14. Session 5: Mental Contrasting
“Control” exercise
Mental contrasting
Homework
Participants will generate a list of specific questions they have about decisions within their control with which they can use some help managing

15. Session 6: Self-Regulation
Homework
Participants will write a word answer to the question: “Why are teammates important?”

16. Session 7: Teammates Matter
Why are teammates important?
Homework
Participants will choose an adult and peer accountability partner, and bring a signed agreement letter to the last session.

17. Session 8: Termination Facilitators share strengths-based observations
Revisit confidentiality
Describe termination

18. Paul C. Harris, Ph. D. www. paulcharris. com pch3y@virginia
Paul C. Harris, Ph.D. Najwa Tatby Sarah Wiener