Running head: THE EFFECTS OF SPORTS 1

The Effects of Sports Participation on Academic Performance

Eliana Falls

Arizona State University

PPE 310: Healthy Learning Communities

Mr. Gabriel Gerbic

December 5th, 2017

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The Effects of Sports Participation on Academic Performance

Introduction

There are positive links between sports activities and academic progress, and the benefits

have great consequences on physical health and mental health domains. The purpose of this

paper is to inform the audience of the positive effects of sports and active programs on academic

performance, while offering an alternative program for community participation. Because of the

strong link between leading an active style and good academic performance, it is imperative to

have a bigger focus in giving kids more active outlets, such as the community program Little

Sports Stars, which is a comprehensive sixteen-week long program offered in schools and in

recreational complexes within the local community during flexible times. The program is offered

at no-cost to the families, but a limited capacity and with a first come-first serve basis. A

program like Little Sports Stars is a great option as it can give children an introduction to many

different sports throughout the program, while boosting confidence, developing social skills, and

adding cognitive benefits that in return will mean better school performance across all subjects.

For more information, my portfolio link is: http://elianafalls.weebly.com

Review of Current Literature

A study conducted by three California doctors aimed to find a link between obesity or

aerobic fitness with the performance in standardized testing (Roberts, Freed, & McCarthy, 2010).

The study used two different methods to gather and study data, first by collecting results form a

statewide mandated physical exam, and then by studying their results on the states standardized

tests. Data was collected from 2,703 youth enrolled in public schools, including 10 elementary,

2 middle schools, and 2 high schools (Roberts, Freed, & McCarthy, 2010). The research study

concluded that low aerobic fitness is common among youth and varies among ethnic groups,
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and aerobic fitness level predicts performance on standardized tests across ethnic groups

(Roberts, Freed, & McCarthy, 2010).

In the study titled the Effects of Student Athletics on Academic Performance, by

Nicole Grimit, investigated the effects of athletic involvement at the collegiate level at South

Dakota State University. The main goal was to find any advantages and disadvantages related to

athletic involvement, and how advantages may outweigh disadvantages/vice versa. The method

utilized data gathered through a 16-question survey and 70 copies were made to hand out to

student-athletes on the campus of South Dakota State University (Grimit, 2014). The study had

a 100% response rate, with only three unusable surveys, making the total of 67 surveys used to

examine all the findings. The study found that the students developed better time management

skills, learned to stay committed, and motivated them to keep up with good school attendance

(Grimit, 2014).

A research study titled Comparing the Academic Performance of High School Athletes

and Non-Athletes, by Angela Lumpkin & Judy Favor, investigated the academic performance

of Kansas high school athletes, to determine if participation in athletics helps or harms academic

achievement (Lumpkin & Favor, 2012). The method for the study was employed by conducting a

longitudinal study for a year from 2008-2009, where the researchers aimed to find links between

physical activity and academic achievement; by using Self-reported grade point averages

(GPAs), graduation rates, number of dropouts, ACT scores, and state assessment scores

(Lumpkin & Favor, 2012). All of these components were examined to identify differences

between athletes and non-athletes as a group, gender, and ethnicity (Lumpkin & Favor, 2012).

The researchers found proof that student athletes have a higher graduation rates and less likely to

drop out from school (Lumpkin & Favor, 2012).

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Lee Sitkowski at Liberty University, conducted a research study to find the impact of

athletic participation at high school level. The goal was to find links between academic

performance and participation in athletic activities. The methodology used in the study,

consisted of gathering the GPA point averages of over 249 high school students (girls and boys),

both during and out of season times. Athletic participation was confirmed by the student

schedules provided by the school. It was concluded that athletic participation had a positive

impact on academic performance and that impact may be attributable to the difference between

male in season and out of season performance (Sitkowski, 2008).

Synthesis of Information

Overall, all of the articles studied in this research, demonstrate both short and long-term

positive benefits that come from combining athletic participation into the academic school year.

The effects go further than just positive academic outcomes in the formative years. The benefits

carry on to college and career lives, as shown by the study conducted by Nicole Grimit at South

Dakota State University (Grimit, 2014). Most of the studies focused on the positive

consequences between athletes and academic performance, including other social and emotional

benefits. One study however, compared both athletic and non-athletic subjects to find out if the

participation in athletics actually helps or harms academic achievement. This study found it that

not only does leading an active lifestyle improves academic outcomes, but it can greatly reduce

the risk of dropping out, increased motivation, gave a confidence boost, and promoted good

attendance (Lumpkin & Favor, 2012).

Practical implications

The Little Sports Stars program will be available after school and during weekends. We

will be using community buildings, and school grounds as our classroom settings. There will also
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be a virtual component, where short videos will be available for teachers to use in their

classroom to bring movement into some of the academic lessons. The goal of Little Sports Stars

is to bring more active opportunities to kids both outside and inside school. There are several

practical implications to our program, and these include marketing, funding, educational

components, engagement, recognition, and scheduling.

Marketing

Marketing will be done at little to no cost, by using social media outreach. The idea is to

set up a free website with a weekly blog, public social media pages, and by dropping flyers in

community buildings where families frequent attendance. Flyers will also be shared with the

schools within the local district, and demonstrations will be offered to the program during PT

classes, and in other classrooms depending on requests. The growing partnerships with local

businesses will allow for the programs marketing materials to be covered, as well as to allow for

extra exposure to the program. Below in APPENDIX A through D, are samples of visual tools

that will be implemented into my marketing strategy.

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B
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APPENDIX C
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APPENDIX D
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Funding

Little Sports Stars is a program part of a non-profit organizational effort to bring in

healthy lifestyle awareness into schools, homes, and the community. My ability to reach out to

people will depend on the appropriated funding from community and state grants, as well as any

incoming donations from community members, sponsors, and other supporters. Little Sports

Stars will run a series of fundraisers on a quarterly basis, as well as to continue to build

sponsorship partnerships with local businesses. This will ensure both, more funding and

marketing exposure for the program. Due to the limited space and funds, the program will

operate on a first come first-serve basis, and at no cost to the families. T-shirts will be provided,

thanks to our sponsorships relationships.

Educational Components

Nearly half of school administrators reported cutting significant time from physical

education and recess to increase time spent in reading and mathematics since passage of the No

Child Left Behind Act (Kohl III & Cook, 2013). Due to the alarming cuts in active time in

schools, Little Sports Stars is helping educators find ways to integrate active time within their

academic curriculum. One great example is my math lesson on rote counting in lesson 4, which

is done by incorporating music and choreography to teach the numbers to young kids. Little

Sports Stars will make sample lessons like this one available at our site, for both teachers and

parents. Lessons will follow state guidelines and safety standards set by the SHAPE America's

National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education.

Engagement

By adopting a volunteer work frame, I will ensure that my program has a community

based learning approach. The goal is to foster a welcoming and safe environment for kids, so
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they can feel free to explore different sports activities; that they may not be able to at school or at

home due to time constrictions or income. Little Sports Stars follows strict safety protocol

guidelines to minimize potential for injuries, and maintain the safety of all involved. Little Sports

Stars focuses on the foundation of each sport, and takes attention away from the competitive side

of sports. Our goal is to get kids active. All kids receive a participatory certificate, and a t-shirt.

Every month we will highlight a Sports Star Family in our blog. The families are chosen at

random, and each family will be highlighted in our blog.

Recognition

By having a community wide approach and support, I will help us have a great outreach

into the community. I plan on using the strong relationship with big sponsors to get the

programs name through their company advertisement and different media outlets. Because my

program is at no-cost to the families, I foresee a high participation rate across all our classes.

Scheduling

Classes will take place after school, and on weekends (both Saturday and Sunday). Times

will be varied depending on available staff, with the option for parents to volunteer and help

shadow classes. The staff will be trained to teach each basic component from each sport, and

parents have the option to take the no-cost training from one of our experienced members. The

classrooms will be separated between age levels to best provide age appropriate instruction.

Week 1 Schedule/Fall 2018

Location TBD (School grounds, or community fair grounds- weather depending).

Monday 4:15 pm-5 pm

Beginning Soccer (Beginners/toddler and intermediates/elementary offered in separate

classrooms).
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Tuesday 4:15 pm-5 pm

Beginning Basketball (Beginners/toddler and intermediates/elementary offered in separate

classrooms).

Wednesday 4:15 pm-5 pm

Beginning Baseball (Beginners/toddler and intermediates/elementary offered in separate

classrooms).

Thursday 4:15 pm-5 pm

Beginning Soccer (Beginners/toddler and intermediates/elementary offered in separate

classrooms).

Friday 4:15 pm-5 pm

Beginning Basketball (Beginners/toddler and intermediates/elementary offered in separate

classrooms).

Saturday 8:15 am-9 am

Beginning Baseball (Beginners/toddler and intermediates/elementary offered in separate

classrooms).

Sunday 8:15 am-9 am

Dance (Beginners/toddler and intermediates/elementary- different classrooms).

Conclusion

Not all schools can provide flexible active alternatives for kids, and those that are offered

outside of school can be quite costly. By engaging in the Little Sports Stars classes, kids can
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learn the basic foundations of different sports, learn about team work, and develop good social

skills. Additionally, the studies shown here highlight strong connections between leading an

active lifestyle and positive academic outcomes, due to the different regions of the brain being

stimulated during periods of exercise. Angela Lumpkin and Judy Favor, found that active

lifestyle mitigates dropout rates and increases academic motivation (Lumpkin & Favor, 2012).

Nicole Grimit, showed us that students demonstrated better time management skills and

commitment towards tasks at higher rates, correlating this progress with out of classroom

physical activity (Grimit, 2014). All of the research that was analyzed, showed how imperative it

is to provide different active outlets for children throughout all ages. My activity Little Sports

Stars utilizes these types of activities impact cognitive function, behavior, and overall health. As

children age and develop a physical activity routine, these benefits may extend into workplace

settings. Ultimately, leading an active lifestyle improves brain function, blood flow, positive

changes in hormone levels, and enhanced nutrient intake (Sitkowski, 2008). For the next year the

plan for this program is to continue to keep offering the sessions not only for early childhood and

young teens, but also to extend the ages all the way to early adulthood. This is to instill, foster,

and maintain the importance for leading an active lifestyle in the later years as we enter more

sedentary work. I believe that this extension of the program can improve physical health,

employee efficiency, and performance in the workplace. With time, the non-profit will reach

more people and continue operating on more donations, grants, and raised funds. In three years, I

foresee this program reaching other communities outside our local school district, through social

media and client recommendations. Lastly; in five years, I hope to create a well-known national

brand with franchising options for those that wish to bring the program into their communities. I
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truly believe in the programs continued active lifestyle mission, and what it can do to other

areas of life. I hope with this long-term plan, to reach as many families as possible.
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References

Grimit, N. (2014). Effects of Student Athletics on Academic Performance. Retrieved October 30,

2017, from http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=jur

Kohl III, H. W., & Cook, H. D. (2013, October 30). Approaches to Physical Education in

Schools. Retrieved November 14, 2017, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201493/

Lumpkin, A., & Favor, J. (2012, March 01). Comparing the Academic Performance of High

School Athletes and Non-Athletes in Kansas 2008-2009. Retrieved from

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jsas/6776111.0004.108?view=text;rgn=main

Roberts, C. K., Freed, B., & McCarthy, W. J. (2010, May). Low Aerobic Fitness and Obesity

Are Associated with Lower Standardized Test Scores in Children. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2909322/

Sitkowski, L. S. (2008). The Effects of Participation in Athletics on Academic Performance

among High School Sophomores and Juniors. Retrieved from

http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1115&context=doctoral