| The purpose of this case study was to determine student attitudes toward varsity interscholastic sports participation and factors that affect those attitudes. The study addressed the following: (1) Over the past 20 years what trends can be identified in varsity sports participation? (2) What are the factors that influence attitude toward participation in varsity interscholastic sports? (3) What is the attitude of students toward participation in varsity interscholastic sports? (4) What are the attitudes of coaches, faculty, parents, and community members toward participation in varsity interscholastic sports?;Results indicated: (1) Level of sports participation remained approximately 25% over the period of 1965-1985. (2) Several factors appear to affect the attitudes of students toward participation in interscholastic sports. Parental influence was the most definite factor. Other factors noted were peer influence and coach influence, perceived athletic ability, sports as fun, priority of sports, and the relationship of sports to academic achievement. (3) Students, especially participants, reacted favorably to the school's interscholastic sports program and believed that sports were worthwhile because they taught such concepts as cooperation, sportsmanship, competition, and learning responsibility. Sports were perceived as beneficial for physical fitness and socialization. Students reacted negatively to the overemphasis on competition and winning, pressure from coaches, and sports not being fun. (4) Coaches, faculty, parents, and community members believed that sports participation was beneficial to students. Sports taught cooperation, responsibility, competition, and sportsmanship. There was negative reaction to the overemphasis on competition and winning, pressure from coaches, "bench-sitting" by many students, sports burnout, and lack of fun in sports.;The research suggested development of a sports philosophy emphasizing educational aspects of sports and participation for enjoyment and self-satisfaction. Coaches should be oriented to this philosophy and evaluated on its support rather than win-loss records. Additional sports should be added to the interscholastic program, and the intramural sports program should be revitalized.;Data was gathered from high school yearbooks, Pennsylvania Department of Education, a survey questionnaire administered to 155 high school students, and individual interviews of selected student participants, student non participants, coaches, faculty, parents of participants, parents of non participants, and community members. |
