Effects of extracurricular sports participation on academic performance in secondary school students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55040/wf2wz546Keywords:
physical activity, extracurricular sport, adolescents, secondary school students, academic achievementAbstract
Physical activity has been associated with multiple physical, cognitive, and academic benefits in school-aged populations. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between extracurricular sports practice and academic performance in secondary school students. A non-experimental, descriptive, and comparative cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 212 secondary school students (112 boys and 100 girls), aged between 12 and 16 years. Of the total sample, 124 students regularly engaged in extracurricular sports practice, while 88 did not participate in organized sports activities. Academic performance was assessed using the overall grade point average and grades in Spanish Language and Mathematics. The results showed that students who practiced extracurricular sports obtained significantly higher academic scores both in overall academic performance and in the core subjects analyzed (p < .05). In conclusion, extracurricular sports practice is associated with better academic performance in secondary school students, highlighting the importance of promoting organized sports activities as a complement to academic development in educational settings
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