Sport, Students and Academic Achievement: A Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract

Participation in sport and students’ academic achievement has remained a debatable topic among researchers for years. There has been a long-running discussion about the role of sports in student academic achievement, but no consensus has yet been achieved. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the role of sport in the academic achievement of students at the college level. A cross-sectional survey was performed among n=346 participants (parents=110, teachers=120 & students= 116) in which 330 valid and duly filled questionnaires were used for data analysis. Findings indicated that participants acknowledged sport participation as an important tool for the overall development of students, and the principles that prepare students to excel in sport can contribute to academic achievement. These findings suggest that promoting sport participation and having access to different formats of sport such as team versus individual sport events during the college years can be a good way to help students boost their grades.