For over 100 years, basic instructional programs (BIP) have played a pivotal role in providing undergraduates with opportunities to acquire sport-related skills and conceptual knowledge relevant to promoting their involvement in lifelong physical activity and establishing healthy lifestyle habits. Critical to delivering this instructional content is the graduate teaching assistant (GTA) who often serves as the teacher-of-record for BIP courses. The purpose of this research was to examine the perspectives of GTAs teaching in BIPs maintained by American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education (AAKPE) graduate academic programs. More specifically, this research had two primary goals: (1) to examine the perspectives of their instructional roles and work environment; and (2) to determine their perceptions of the relevance and value of established departmental and institutional GTA instructional development, support, and evaluation processes. Results from this study support and extend existing knowledge concerning the instructional development, support, and, particularly, the socialization of BIP GTAs for their immediate and potentially future roles as college-level instructors. Findings demonstrate the need for directing more in-depth scholarly inquiry at better understanding the instructional socialization and development issues BIP GTAs face as they transition from being students to potential teacher-scholars.(Contains 2 tables.)