Student-Athlete or Athlete-Student: An Examination of the Relationship between Academic Performance and Athletic Participation in Division III Female Athletes

Abstract

Does athletic participation factor into the academic performance of female NCAA Division III intercollegiate student-athletes? This study involved the participation of 35 female student-athletes ranging from 18 to 22 years of age. The study was directed towards determining the relationship between athletic participation and academic performance—specifically, if GPA changed between playing seasons, if the extent to which one identifies as an athlete affects GPA, and if GPA changes over the course of time spent in college. This was examined with a questionnaire consisting of two parts.

Participants answered the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (Brewer & Cornelius, 2001) and demographic questions. Results suggest that athletic participation at the Division III level produces little impact on academic performance. Specifically, GPA in season did not differ from GPA out of season, the GPAs of those identifying more as athletes did not differ from the GPAs of those identifying less as athletes, and GPA did not differ from freshman to senior year.