Book Description

Athletic participation is a major component of the high school experience for many students across the country, yet in difficult economic times athletic funding is often the first area reduced when education budgets need to be balanced. These cuts are usually performed without data on or inquiry into the relationship between athletic participation and academic achievement. If a relationship could be proven, advocates of athletics would have a stronger argument for the preservation of funding. This study utilized a quantitative, causal-comparative design to examine the relationship between athletic participation and academic achievement. Grade point averages of students who participated in high school athletics three years in a row were compared with those of students who did not participate for three years in a row. The study focused on the growth rate, or change in grade point average over the three years, in order to make a stronger argument that differences in achievement between the two groups could be attributed to participation (or lack of participation). On average, the achievement of athletes was significantly higher than that of non-participants during the first year, but athletes lost some of this advantage over the course of the study, meaning that they experienced negative growth. Non-participants did experience positive growth that was statistically significant, however the effect size was small, meaning that the practical significance is minimal. Based on the results of the study, it is difficult to make the argument that athletics are linked to improved academic achievement. While athletic participation can still be considered part of the overall education of students with numerous benefits such as the development of leadership and teamwork skills, these benefits do not seem to translate to the classroom. Because the practical significance is low, there are no recommendations based on the results of this study in relation to funding or policy changes, although school districts may want to consider making the funding of activities proven to have a direct link to improved academic achievement their top priority. Future research in this area should continue to focus on growth rate rather than overall performance and attempt to first duplicate these results at additional sites. The rate of participation (number of sports played) should also be introduced to the conversation as it may affect results. Future studies may also wish to investigate why the rate of academic growth was so low for all students.