Athletes versus Non-Athletes on Academic Performance - Research Paper Example

The reason behind selecting the topic of the research includes the popular misconception that sports and games cause the wastage of student’s time by diverting their focus from studies. The critics are of the view that the students, interested and involved in athletics and other games, consume large part of their time and energies in the playgrounds, and consequently become too tired and exhausted to pay any heed to their academic obligations. As a result, they lag far behind than their classmates in educational activities, and thus are unable to complete their studies in order to become the proficient and successful professionals for the future years to come.

One school of thought observes that sport activities deflect time away from the classroom, and children always keep sports and play in mind, and neglect their classroom responsibilities and assignments. Somehow, the other school of thought disregards the very idea that athletics keep children away from their studies. They are of the opinion that schools are not established to mere bestow certificates and degrees upon the students; on the contrary, people send their children to various educational institutions in order to make them capable of comprehending with the challenges life offers to man on the one hand, and for the growth and development of all aspects of their personality on the other.

The researcher have selected small north Georgia schools as the population for the present study, where he aim to select one hundred and sixty respondents for the research process; one hundred and twenty of which would be students, while twenty each would consist of teachers and parents of the students. Interview schedule will be the tool for data collection in the present study. After the collection of data, the findings will be analyzed and results will be interpreted subsequently. Hence, the study will present a balanced report on the influence of athletics and games on the overall academic performance of the students.

In addition, the data relevant to the North Georgia schools available at various websites will also be consulted for the study. Identification of the Problem: It has aptly been observed that sports and games maintain significant place in social life of the individuals. Sports not only perk up the physical strength of the people, but also pave the way towards the enhancement of intelligence level and sharpness in them. Thus, participation in sports improves mental and physical health and raises IQ level of humans.

“Some of the factors to consider in assessing the significance of mental health relative to other influences are evident in reflecting on a familiar scenario: the long haul flight” (Lynch et al. 2000). Since all parents are determined to see their children healthy and intelligent, they make adequate arrangements for the studies and recreational activities of the children, where participation in sports is given particular attention. In addition, political authorities and social establishment also promote and project the opportunities of physical games of various kinds for adolescents and adults in order to make society healthy, strong and vigorous.

Researches reveal the very fact that healthy people can work harder than