Sports Participation: How it Affects High School Students Academically

Abstract

With the current economy, schools are forced to tighten their budget. One way to cut costs is to cut sports programs. Research on how sports programs affect a student is mixed. The purpose of this research project is to clarify this question, determining how sports participation affects high school students academically. Data for the research was collected from Avalon High School’s GPA records and from surveys distributed to students and teachers. The results indicate that student athletes achieve a higher GPA when compared to non-athletes. In addition sports play a motivational role for student athletes that drive them to succeed. Further research is needed since it is still to be determined whether it is sports that contribute directly to this academic success.