The purpose of this research was to examine how three physical education (PE) teachers’ professional socialization programmes influenced their early careers in urban schools in the US. Using cultural relevance theory and occupational socialization theory, three early career PE teachers were observed and interviewed for a period of six weeks each. Data were analyzed using constant comparison and inductive analysis. Three major themes emerged from the data, including a lack of coursework in sociocultural issues, a curricular emphasis on team sports, and varying exposure to urban schools and communities during physical education teacher education (PETE). The findings highlight the challenges and struggles that early career PE teachers in urban schools faced that were not addressed in their professional socialization programmes. Based on these findings, PETE students need to have a broader range of experiences within the school context. This needs to be prioritized within PETE programmes.