Sport in high school : the relationship of athletic participation, gender differences, and academic stream to self-esteem, academic achievement, and educational aspiration

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction effects of athletic participation, gender, and academic stream with self-esteem, academic achievement, and educational aspiration. The sample (n=341) was drawn from potential graduates from three high schools in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Athletic participation was collected from self-reported student data in the areas of varsity (school) and recreational (both within and outside of school) sports. Global self-esteem was measured with the Coopersmith SEI Inventory (1981). Quantitative results were analysed using MANOVA. Results showed that male athletic participants had higher self-esteem scores, whereas females had higher grade point averages (a = .01). Self-esteem for general level students was lower than that of advanced level students, particularly in females. Academic achievement as measured by grade point average had no relationship with athletic participation but educational aspirations varied positively with academic stream.