The majority of the country’s smartest students all seem to have one thing in common; they are all athletes. Some parents and students think sports are not beneficial to students. However, athletics tend to help students in the classroom. Sports positively affect students’ grades because they help students with learning techniques, give students motivation to do well in school, and give students character traits necessary for life which help in the classroom.

Sports are beneficial to students in the classroom for many reasons; one being that sports help students learn more efficiently. Student athletes are more prone to high academic achievements because of the learning qualities that they enhance in sporting activities. For example, for a student to achieve athletically, he or she need to acquire hard work, self-discipline, determination, concentration, focus, and more; all of these attributes are necessary for academic success (Simons). With all of the learning qualities a student receives from sports, their academics will be higher because those qualities help with all work done in school and overall, it improves ones grades. Learning qualities gained from sports have a positive impact on the way the student performs in the classroom.

Memory is a major skill acquired from sports that is a bonus to students in the classroom. For example, physical activity has positive effects on concentration, memory and classroom behavior (Trudeau). When a student is physically active in sports, he or she gain memory skills because the student can use techniques learned in sports to memorize things that he or she is learning in the classroom. Students can use drilling techniques they learn from sports to study. For example, in wrestling, athlete’s drill one particular takedown thousands of times until the athlete memorizes the technique; these athletes can use that technique to memorize vocabulary or important information needed for quizzes and tests in school. All of these things help you succeed in school. Memory is a technique student athletes learn in sports and put forth in the classroom for extra strength in learning.

Motivation is a huge factor in why sports help students succeed in the classroom. If a student participates in one or more sports, he or she is motivated to keep up and get higher grades, otherwise he or she will be eligible to participate in the events. For example, studies show athletic motivation carries over to academic motivation, which is a key to academic success in Division One colleges for student athletes (Gaston- Gayles). Students that play sports are motivated to do well in school because if they don’t and fall ineligible, they will be spending the sporting event on the sideline watching their teammates play.

Student athletes are more prone to being successful in the classroom than non-athletes because of how each group invests in school. An example of this is that students that participate in physical activity such as sporting events are more likely to be more motivated and invest more in school (Trudeau). In order for students to participate in athletic competition, they must obtain a certain grade requirement in order to stay eligible. Due to this requirement, student athletes invest more in school. Overall, students that take part in athletics are more likely to achieve higher standards in school because of the motivational aspect and investment in school quality.

The issue of athletics helping students in the classroom is a debatable topic because parents and students think that participation in athletics is too much and takes attention off schoolwork. One reason parents think that is because they believe students will be too focused on sports and not be able to focus in school, causing their grades to fall. That belief is false; with students participating in sports, they are more engaged in school than non-athletes (Trudeau). The reason for that is because when a student is in sports they engage themselves in the schoolwork so they don’t fall ineligible. Because of that, students will not be distracted on sports during class, and can draw focus to the subject and do better schoolwork. Because of this engagement, students’ focus will increase, allowing their ability to pick up and analyze data acquired from the classroom to improve. Overall, student-athletes are more engaged in school, leading them to academic success.

Another reason students and parents disagree with sports during academics is because sports draw from concentration in school; with less concentration, students’ grades slip away. However, that is a false statement; effects of physical activity such as classroom manners, self-confidence, and school connectedness are factors for positive outcomes on academic performances (Trudeau). With this in place, students will not be tired and daze off, but will use their connectedness in school to uphold positive academic achievements. Also, high concentration will allow them to score well on tests, quizzes, and classroom work. All in all, students that participate in athletics are going to keep concentration throughout class and achieve higher academic success.

A benefit of participation in athletics that translate to success in the classroom is the character traits that students gain from sporting activities and coaches. Responsibility is one of the most important character traits needed by a citizen to be successful in anything, but is especially needed in an educational routine. A prime example to demonstrate this is that college athletes not only have higher education goals, but also gain bonus traits through athletics such as personal development containing responsibility and concentration (Gaston- Gayles). Athletic coaches and the athletics themselves teach responsibility through sports, which will ensure that students study and do their work, which in the end leads to academic successes. Overall, sports show students responsibility, which is a necessity for academic achievement.

Coaches are a significant help to student athletes. Athletic coaches help guide students by sending them in the right direction to success. For example, coaches show students the right things to do and guide them by teaching and passing along character traits (Williams). When athletes are surrounded by coaches they intake motivation and lessons given from those coaches. They show and explain important character traits and help guide student-athletes to perform well in the classroom. In the long run, athletic coaches benefit students in the classroom because they guide them on the path to success.

In the end, sports only help academics for students. Sports give students motivation to learn and succeed, they help students invest in school and focus, and they help students learn character traits, which he or she will use to get good grades. Student-athletes get better grades and are overall smarter citizens than no-athletes.



Works Cited
Trudeau, Francois, and Roy J. Shephard. “Physical education, school physical activity, school
sports and academic performance.” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2008. Google Scholar. Web. 20 March 2014
Herbert D. Simons, Derek Van Rheenen, and Martin V. Covington “Academic Motivation and the Student Athlete.” Journal of College Student Development. March/April 1999. Google Scholar. Web. 20 March 2014.
Gaston- Gayles, Joy L. “ Examining Academic and Athletic Motivation Among Student Athletes at a Division 1 University.” Journal of College Student Development. January/ Febuary 2004. Google Scholar. Web. 20 March 2014.
Williams, Jennifer L. “ Man helps young people who want to succeed: A W & M grad runs a network to help students, parents and educators gain classroom success.” Newport News, VA. 16 January 2009. NC Wise Owl. Web. 11 May 2014.
Gaston- Gayles, Joy, and Shouping Hu. “ The Influence of Student Engagement and Sport Participation on College Outcomes Among Division 1 Student Athletes.” The Journal of Higher Education. May/June 2009. Google Scholar. Web. 11 May 2014.