Academic Performance of Student Athletes Current research offers little guidance on the specific relationship between participation in athletics and academic performance (Jordan, 1999). In a study conducted by Will J. Jordan, participation in school-sponsored sports was examined to see if there was an increase in academic engagement and performance. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of sports participation on academic performance. This study focused on the effects of school sports participation on the academic achievement of African American students, as well as White and Hispanic students. Approximately 15,000 students from over a thousand different schools were used in this study. This sample included students from all geographic locations and communities, as well as public and private schools (Jordan, 1999). The data collection process began by describing the word “participation.” Essentially, the researchers designed a number system related to different levels of participation. Participation was defined as follows. “Students who did not participate in a sport were rated a “0.” Students who played sports less than an hour per week were given a “1.” Students who participated one to four hours per week were assigned a “2,” five to nine hours per week were assigned a “3,” fourteen to nineteen hours were assigned a “4,” and students who participated participated twenty or more hours per week was assigned a “3”. was given a “5” (Jordan, 1999).” The researchers said this accounted for the fact that some measures, such as GPA and self-confidence, may have been different in students who played sports. To measure GPA, students reported their grades in math, English... in the center of the paper... anticipate. As a result, they are more likely to maintain their academic grades. In a study that focuses on college student-athletes and contradicts research conducted by Whitely and Stegall, Herbert Simons, Derek Rheenen, and Martin Covington, stated that "the greater the commitment to the athletic role and the less to the academic role, the lower the college GPA (Simons et al., 1999).” When student-athletes reach the collegiate level, the amount of time student-athletes spend on their sport, in and out of the athletic season, is immense. Simons et al., noted, student-athletes are required to dedicate 20 to 30 hours per week, missing numerous classes for competitions, and dealing with injuries and fatigue (Simons et al., 1999) As a result, student-athletes are not able to devote as much time to academics as non-athletes. athletes, directly influencing academic motivation..