Comparing academic achievement of African-American males who do and do not participate in high school athletics

This study was conducted to investigate the impact on academic achievement that high school athletics had on African-American male students who participated in high school athletics against African-American male students who did not participate in high school athletics during the 2008-2009 school year. The results were measured by grade point averages (GPAs) and surveys developed by the researcher. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not African-American males that participated in high school athletics showed higher academic achievement than African-American males that did not participate in high school athletics. The study also assessed attitudes about the relation between academic achievement and sports participation, using survey results from African-American male student-athletes and their parents. The results of this study indicated that high school athletics do not have a significant impact on the academic achievement of African-American males. Results of this study indicated that (a) sports participation can both negatively and positively impact academic achievement and (b) coaches' encouragement should be considered an important resource for influencing the academic aspirations of African-American male student-athletes. Suggestions for continued research are included within this study.