The Effect of Interscholastic Sports Participation on Academic Achievement of Middle Level School Students Larry J. Stephens and Laura A. Schaben Eighth graders (N = 136) were divided into two groups: students who had par- ticipated in at least one interscholastic sport and were classified as athletes (n = 73), and students who not participated in interscholastic sports and were classified as nonathletes (n = 63). The mean grade point average (GPA) for each group and subgroup was computed and compared by group, subgroup, and sex. There were 6 categories of sports participation, ranging from no sports to 5 sports. As interscholastic sports participation increased, GPAs improved. 4 The relationship between academic achievement and participation in i interscholastic sports at middle level schools, high schools, and colleges is of interest to principals and college administrators. The relationship, which may well differ at the three academic levels, plays a role in answering questions about the amount of money, time, and personnel that should be devoted to interscholastic sports programs at the middle level and high schools. At the college level, a successful football program, for example, can mean income for the college. However, this is not true for high school foot- ball programs. Considerable research (reviewed below) exists concerning the relation- ship between academic achievement and participation in interscholastic sports at the high school and the college levels, but little research exists about such a relationship at middle level schools. This research investigates some aspects of this relationship at the middle level school. In particular, stu- dents in grade 8 who participated in sports were compared with students who did not with respect to academic achievement. Gender differences were also investigated in the study, as well as the interaction between the level of sports participation and academic achievement. Previous Research The importance of extracurricular activities (sometimes referred to as stu- dent activities or cocurricular activities) was discussed in two 1985 journal arti- Larry J. Stephens is professor of statistics, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Laura A. Schaben was @ grade 8 mathematics teacher at King Science Center, Omaha Public Schools. She is now instructor of ‘mathematics in the Department of Mathematics, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Correspondence concerning this article may be sent to stephens@unomaha.edu. 34 NASSP Bulletin @ Vol. 86 No. 630 March 2002cles. Gholson (1985) stated that “there is a positive correlation between stu- dent involvement in cocurricular activities and success in nonacademic pur- suits following high school and college” (p. 19). Joekel (1985) pointed out that achievement in cocurricular activities is a factor that can predict success in life beyond school. Studies from the 1960s and earlier revealed that athletic participation had a negative effect on academics. One team of researchers reviewed 41 studies and concluded that nonathletes performed slightly better in school- work than athletes (Ballantine, 1981). The majority of studies from the past two decades, however, indicate that students involved in sports excel in the classroom, Ballantine (1981) cited 6 studies showing a positive relationship between academic achievement and athletic participation, and a study by the U.S. Department of Education revealed that students who participate in cocurricular activities are three times more likely to have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (Mihoces, 1996). High School Students Soltz (1986) found statistical significance in the higher GPAs of athletes compared to nonathletes, whereas Durbin (1986) and Silliker and Quirk (1997) reported that athletes actually excel during their season of competi- tion. A study by Stegman and Stephens (2000) revealed that high-participa- tion athletes (at least one sport each year of high school) outperformed low-participant athletes in class rank, overall GPA, and math GPA. Both female and male athletes in the high-participant group outperformed their low participant counterparts, but the differences were only statistically signif- icant for the female athletes. Not only did the high-participant female ath- letes outperform the low-participant female athletes, but they also had higher GPAs and GPA-based class ranks when compared to low-participant and nonparticipant males and females? These results enhance Lederman’s (1989) finding that 78% of female athletes competing in Division I basket- ball had a B or better average in high school. Middle Level School Students Buhrmann’s (1972) findings for students in grades 7, 8, and 9 were similar to Stegman and Stephens (2000) findings for high school students. The ath- letes who participated in interscholastic sports for many seasons and many years had a higher level of scholarship than the athletes who competed in only a few seasons or for only one year. He found the same relationship to be true between athletes and nonathletes. Two convincing studies of middle level school students used data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), a long-term project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for NASSP Bulletin @ Vol. 86 No. 630 March 2002 35Educational Statistics (NCES). The NCES used questionnaires, cognitive achievement tests, and other sources to obtain data from 10,944 nationally represented students in grade 8. Prior to NELS:88, several researchers ques- tioned the validity of studies that did not include factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES). Because NELS:88 incorporated these factors, the results of prior studies were validated. Gerber (1996) found that SES was significantly related to achievement for both African American and White stu- dents in grade 8. She also found the relationship of achievement to gender was even more significant than the relationship to SES. Even after eliminating the effects of SES and gender, Gerber’s analyses showed a significant relation- ship between cocurricular participation and academic achievement. In- terestingly, the effect was strongest in mathematics. Furthermore, school cocurricular activities showed a stronger relationship to achievement than did outside cocurricular activities. Asecond team of researchers who used data from NELS:88 was Braddock, Royster, Winfield, and Hawkins (1991). Their results were similar to those of Gerber (1996). They contended that students involved in interscholastic sports are more likely to look forward to core curriculum classes and less likely to exhibit school-related social conduct problems such as fighting and misbehav- ing. This finding was unchanged when factors such as SES, age, standardized test scores, and family and school characteristics were statistically controlled. Participants Participants in this study were students in grade 8 during the 1998-1999 aca- demic year at an urban middle level school in Omaha, NE. Both athletes and nonathletes were asked to participate in the study to determine if any correlation exists between academic achievement and interscholastic sports participation. Each of the participants was classified as either an athlete or a nonathlete. For this study, an athlete is defined as any student who partici- pated in one or more of the five interscholastic sports seasons during the 1998-1999 school year. A nonathlete is defined as a student who did not participate in interscholastic sports. Of the 136 participants, 73 were athletes (42 male and 31 female) and 63 were nonathletes (26 male and 37 female). There were an equal number (68) of male and female students overall. Procedure Data collection was initiated after securing permission from the school dis- trict to perform the study. School records and reports supplied semester math course and grade, cumulative GPA, national percentile on the math portion of the California Achievement Test (CAT), and the sex of each participant. During math class, a questionnaire was distributed describing the study and requesting that each student record his or her level of participation 36 NASSP Bulletin m Vol. 86 No. 630 March 2002in interscholastic sports. Once the data file was complete, four comparisons were made: athletes versus nonathletes, male athletes versus male nonathletes, female athletes versus female nonathletes, and female athletes versus male athletes. MINITAB™ (version 13.30; www.minitab.com) was used to evaluate the differences in mean math grades, mean GPAs, and mean CAT scores between each group. Standard deviations and significance test data were also computed for each comparison. In addition, MINITAB™ was used to con- struct Figure 1 and Figure 2. Results Table 1 shows that athletes had significantly higher GPAs than nonathletes. As can be seen in Table 2, within-sex comparisons produced similar results. Both male and female athletes had significantly higher GPAs than nonath- letes of the same sex. In conjunction with the findings of Stegman and Stephens (2000), Table 3 demonstrates that female athletes had significantly higher GPAs than male athletes. Results for mean CAT scores and mean math grades for each compari- son parallel the results for GPAs. Athletes had significantly higher math CAT scores (64% vs. 48%) and math grades than nonathletes, whereas male and female athletes performed significantly better than nonathletes of the same sex in both measures, Female athletes had slightly higher math CAT scores and math grades than male athletes, but these differences were not statisti- cally significant. Figure | and Figure 2 reveal the overall effect of interscholastic sports par- ticipation on cumulative GPA and CAT scores, Each dot represents a partici- pant in the study, Nonathletes account for nearly one-half of the participants, and their GPAs and CAT scores are well distributed in the zero column of each figure. As the number of sports increases along the horizontal axis, the number of participants in each column decreases. This is not unexpected, but the corresponding GPAs and CAT scores reveal an unexpected and remark- able trend. As interscholastic sports participation increases, GPAs and CAT scores improve considerably over the previous category before being evenly distributed in the column. In every case but one, the lowest GPA and CAT score in any category exceeded the lowest GPA and CAT score of the previous category. Most notably, the two students who participated in the five-sport cat- egory had GPAs near the top of their class. The figures clearly illustrate a strong relationship between academic success and athletic participation, Discussion The age-old question from teachers and parents, “Does participation in interscholastic sports harm the academic achievement of students?” appears to have been answered in the negative in this and numerous other studies. NASSP Bulletin @ Vol. 86 No. 630 March 2002 37Table 1. Comparison of Mean GPAs Between Athletes and Nonathletes Group a Mean sD t Athletes 73 3.151 0.807 4.85" Nonathletes 63 2.400 1.010 Note. GPA = grade point average. *p<.05, one-tailed. Table 2. Within-Sex Comparison of Mean GPAs Between Athletes and Nonathletes Ath Nonathl Group a GPA sD a GPA sD t Male 42 2.967 0.800 26 2310 1.040 2.91" Female 31 3.400 0.760 37 2453 0.994 4,35" Note. GPA = grade point average. *p <.05, two-tailed. Table 3. Between-Sex Comparison of Mean GPAs Group a GPA sD t Male athletes 42 2.967 0.800 2.34" Female athletes 31 3.400 0.760 Note. GPA = grade point average. *p <.05, one-tailed. In fact, involvement in interscholastic sports seems to enhance the academic performance of students. The question now is why do athletes perform better academically than nonathletes? Do they get higher grades because they are athletes, or do they get higher grades because of something innate? Does the latter imply that an athlete would continue to do well academically in the absence of athletics? Consider a high school graduate who earned a 4.0 GPA and who was highly involved in interscholastic sports. Would that student have performed equally well if athletics had not been part of his or her experience? This question is not easy to answer. Many nonathletes are outstanding stu- dents, but their successes cannot help investigators determine whether ath- letes would have performed differently under other circumstances. Participation in athletics can help students build discipline, set goals, orga- nize time, and develop self-confidence. Athletes who transfer these skills to their academics are greeted with success, yet the effects of athletic participation reach beyond classroom walls and gymnasium floors. Much can be said about 38 NASSP Bulletin m Vol. 86 No. 630 March 2002Cumulative GPA Number of Sports the effect of sports on the social world of students. In a study by Goldberg and Chandler (1992), each of the 182 junior high school participants identified academic performance as the primary source of parental approval, but 68% of girls and 90% of boys agreed that boys gain peer recognition and popularity by being outstanding athletes. Athletics contribute, whether really or perceptually, to the identity and social status of students. For this reason, the role of athletics cannot be ignored when trying to comprehend the developmental and social- ization processes of adolescents. Limitations of the Study ‘Two limitations of the study are sample size and lack of control for SES. A larger sample size would have been more helpful. An analysis adjusted for SES would also be desirable. Summary The reason athletes excel in the classroom, at this point, does not seem important. The fact remains that students involved in cocurricular activities, especially interscholastic sports, perform better than those who are not involved. All of the studies reviewed in this article reinforce this assertion. When budget cuts threaten the existence of interscholastic sports programs, administrators, counselors, teachers, parents, and students can negotiate or even diminish the effects of such proposed cuts with data indicating the aca- demic benefits of such programs to underscore their necessity. Although not every student will be a stellar athlete, the numerous studies linking acade- mic success to cocurricular participation indicate that educators should NASSP Bulletin @ Vol. 86 No. 630 March 2002 39Figure 2. Math CAT Score vs. Interscholastic Sports Participation CAT Score Number of Sports encourage students to be involved in interscholastic sports, intramurals, or other cocurricular activities. @ References Ballantine, R. J. (1981). What the research says: About the correlation between athlet- ic participation and academic achievement. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 233994). Braddock, J. H., II, Royster, D. A., Winfield, L. F., & Hawkins, R. (1991). Bouncing back: Sports and academic resilience among African American males. Education and Urban Society 24(1): 113-131. Buhrmann, H. G. (1972). Scholarship and athletics in junior high school. International Review of Sport Sociology 7(72), 119-181. Durbin, B. B. (1986). High school athletics: A valuable educational experi- ence. NASSP Bulletin 70(492): 32-34. Gerber, S. B. (1996). Extracurricular activities and academic achievement. Journal of Research and Development in Education 30(1): 42-50. Gholson, R. E. (1985). Student achievement and cocurricular participation. NASSP Bulletin 6(483): 17-20. Goldberg, A. D., & Chandler, T. J. L. (1992). Academics and athletics in the social world of junior high school students. The School Counselor 40(1): 40-45. 40 NASSP Bulletin m Vol. 86 No. 630 March 2002Joekel, R. G, (1985). Student activities and academic eligibility require- ments. NASSP Bulletin 69(483): 3-9. Lederman, D. (1989). Female basketball players outperform their counter- parts in the classroom. Chronicle of Higher Education, August 16, pp. 1, A33. Mihoces, G. (1996). Athletes adept at getting jump on their studies. USA Today, May 16, pp. 1c, 2c. Silliker, 8. A., & Quirk, J. T. (1997). The effect of extracurricular activity par- ticipation on the academic performance of male and female high school students. The School Counselor 44(4): 288-293. Soltz, D. F, (1986). Athletics and academic achievement: What is the rela- tionship? NASSP Bulletin 70(492): 20-24. Stegman, M., & Stephens, L. J. (2000). Athletics and academics: Are they compatible? The High School Magazine 7(6): 36-39. Now Accepting Applications for NASSP Bulletin Advisory Council The editorial staff of NASSP Bulletin, the Association’s peerreviewed quarterly journal, is seeking candidates for the Bulletin Advisory Council. Three positions are avail- able, each with a three-year term. The Council's primary function is to advise the editor on theme selection and article selection by participating in peer review, to critique issues of Bulletin as they are published, and to serve as a guest editor of one issue in the final year of the term. Travel to NASSP headquarters in Reston, VA, for the annual fall meeting (one weekend, expenses paid) is required. Council members must be acting middle level or high school assistant principals or principals with a history of active participation in professional activities, including pub- lication of articles or conference presentations. Interested candidates must submit: * Completed application form (available at www.principals.org/pdf/ad_council_app-pdf or by sending an e-mail request to the editor at bulletin@principals.org) © A current résumé or curriculum vitae * Letter of intent that highlights the applicant's qualifications and outlines the appli- cant's perspective on how the journal can continue to effectively contribute to the principalship * Letter of endorsement from the applicant's principal or superintendent * A description of school improvement efforts and accomplishments. Application materials should be submitted by May 1, 2002. Incomplete packets will not be considered. Send materials to: Amy Ciliberto, Editor NASSP Bulletin 1904 Association Drive Reston, VA 20191 NASSP Bulletin @ Vol. 86 No. 630 March 2002 41