Type of Submission
Poster
Keywords
Athlete, qualitative research, coping, stressors, barriers, college, education, academics, collegiate athlete, implications
Abstract
Involvement in both a collegiate sport and education can be overwhelming and stressful and has the potential to result in sacrificed educational advancement and attainment. Due to the lack of research done concerning this topic, limited knowledge is known regarding specific stressors encountered by athletes and their coping strategies used. As a result, there is little understanding about how to best support college-level student athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain insight from university students as to how athletics affect their academic performance, and to battle against the stereotype of college athletes being average or just below average in their studies. Surveys and twenty minute interviews with thirteen Cedarville University Varsity female athletes were conducted. Data collection was analyzed revolving around the overarching subjects of: time-management, self-discipline, self-care involving sleep habits, responsibility, postgraduate athletic plans, values, and social skills. Overall, the trends highlight that athletes appreciate the structured schedule and have found the balancing to be beneficial towards their educational attainment. Athletes report that their sport has helped motivate them in their studies.
Campus Venue
Stevens Student Center
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-12-2017 11:00 AM
End Date
4-12-2017 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Download file contains only the abstract
Included in
Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons, Sports Studies Commons
How Athletics Affect an Athlete’s Academic Performance
Cedarville, OH
Involvement in both a collegiate sport and education can be overwhelming and stressful and has the potential to result in sacrificed educational advancement and attainment. Due to the lack of research done concerning this topic, limited knowledge is known regarding specific stressors encountered by athletes and their coping strategies used. As a result, there is little understanding about how to best support college-level student athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain insight from university students as to how athletics affect their academic performance, and to battle against the stereotype of college athletes being average or just below average in their studies. Surveys and twenty minute interviews with thirteen Cedarville University Varsity female athletes were conducted. Data collection was analyzed revolving around the overarching subjects of: time-management, self-discipline, self-care involving sleep habits, responsibility, postgraduate athletic plans, values, and social skills. Overall, the trends highlight that athletes appreciate the structured schedule and have found the balancing to be beneficial towards their educational attainment. Athletes report that their sport has helped motivate them in their studies.
