Retention and Academic Success of First-Year Student-Athletes and Intramural Sports Participants

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the relationship of intramural sports and Division III athletic participation to retention and academic success in first-year college students. A first-year student cohort ( n = 568) was grouped into four categories: no participation, student-athlete, intramural participant, and participant in both. There was no statistically significant difference in academic success among the participant groups, F(6, 1084) = .626, p = .710. Both the student-athlete and intramural participant groups were retained at a higher rate than the no participation group, 4.65% and 10.48%, respectively. Of the 46 student-athletes who discontinued playing varsity sports, only 17 remained at the institution. This investigation supports that intramural sports and Division III varsity athletic participation does not negatively affect grade point average and credit hours earned in first-year students, while demonstrating a positive relationship with retention. The results also highlight the need for intentional intervention and research related to the disengaged student-athlete.

A Data-Driven Approach for Facility Use Definitions in Campus Recreation

“…Research has examined use of recreation facilities, as well as participation in club and intramural sports. Studies have found campus recreation participants have higher grade point averages (GPAs), retention rates, and graduation rates (Belch et al, 2001; Danbert et al, 2014; Huesman Jr et al, 2007, 2009; Leppel, 2005; Mayers et al, 2017; McElveen & Ibele, 2019; Roddy et al, 2017; Vasold et al, 2019a; Vasold et al, 2019b; Zegre et al, 2020). Beyond institutional outcomes, benefits of campus recreation include physical and mental health outcomes (Brock et al, 2015; Forrester, 2014; Zizzi et al, 2004); Forrester (2014) reported nationwide evidence of positive associations between campus recreation and a range of outcomes including student enrollment, retention, academics, employment, health, and wellness.…”

“…Research reveals positive relationships between participation in campus recreation and academic outcomes including GPA, retention, and graduation (Belch et al, 2001; Danbert et al, 2014; Huesman Jr et al, 2007, 2009; Leppel, 2005; McElveen & Ibele, 2019; Roddy et al, 2017; Vasold et al, 2019a; Vasold et al, 2019b). These studies exhibit a range of research designs and measurement approaches, including surveys, analyses of card-swipe data, descriptive statistics, and regression-based approaches.…”

“…These studies exhibit a range of research designs and measurement approaches, including surveys, analyses of card-swipe data, descriptive statistics, and regression-based approaches. Survey studies collected self-reported outcomes and facility visits (Brock et al, 2015; Forrester, 2014, 2015; Henchy, 2011; Leppel, 2005; Mayers et al, 2017; Miller, 2011; Vasold et al, 2019a; Zizzi et al, 2004), whereas card-swipe data collected when students entered facilities allows for pairing with other institutional data and comparison of academic outcomes for all enrolled students (Belch et al, 2001; Danbert et al, 2014; McElveen & Ibele, 2019) versus just users (Roddy et al, 2017). Some studies have used multivariate approaches, finding significant relationships between facility use and academic outcomes, controlling for various student characteristics (Belch et al, 2001; Huesman Jr et al, 2007, 2009; Roddy et al, 2017; Zegre et al, 2020).…”

“…Involvement in club and intramural sports has also been found to have a positive relationship with academic outcomes (Astin, 1993; Light, 1992). Specifically, a study at a single institution found relationships between participation and first year retention and cumulative GPA without controlling for student characteristics (McElveen & Ibele, 2019). Other single intuitional studies controlled for student characteristics while examining the relationships among academic outcomes and intramural sports (Vasold et al, 2019a) and club (Kampf & Teske, 2013) participation.…”

Intramural Sport Participation: An Examination of Participant Benefits, Service Quality, Program Satisfaction, and Student Retention

“…Intramural sport programming is a common campus recreation service, with ∼11.7% of undergraduate students in Canada participating in some form of intramural sport programming (American College Health Association, 2019). The contribution of intramural programming to quality postsecondary education is well documented (e.g., Forrester et al, 2018;McElveen & Ibele, 2019;Moffit, 2010;Phipps et al, 2015;Sturts & Ross, 2013). Notably, previous research suggests that participation in intramurals contributes to improved health and physical fitness, greater self-confidence, and improved stress management among students (e.g., Artinger et al, 2006;Forrester, 2015;Huesman et al, 2009).…”