Grimit, Nicole. “Effects of Student Athletics on Academic Performance.” The Journal of Undergraduate Research, vol. 12, 2014, p. 5, openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=jur#:~:text=found%20that%20participation%20in%20athletics.

Grimit research sought to determine the effect of the student’s academic performance due to their involvement in sporting activities. Determinatively, it was purposed to evaluate whether the students’ participation in collegiate athletics was either beneficial or disadvantageous. Accordingly, the research instrument used in obtaining data was a sixteen-question survey whereby seventy copies were distributed to South Dakota University students. Consequently, other survey questions were distributed amongst the student-athlete committee members, and twenty-one of them were also distributed amongst the fellowship members of the Christian athletes. Also, another twenty-two survey question was distributed amongst the women and men dive & swim team. There was a time limit given to fill in the survey questions. The first two questions sought to determine the demographic information. The remaining questions focused on answering the research question, which sought to showcase the correlation between students’ performance due to collegiate athletics participation. 

The research findings from Grimmit research were unique because they showcased that the students who participated in extracurricular activities at South Dakota university performed better than their peers. However, it remains critical to note that South Dakota University had hired a cohort of professionals who assist student-athletes. Notably, besides assisting the students in performing better in their sporting activities, the professionals also taught the students about the need to learn life skills and focus on their career paths. The research suggested that involvement in college athletics significantly motivated the students in their academics. Further, it motivated them to attend all their classes and keep tabs on all the learning activities in a quest for better academic performance. Notably, it was also noted that the involvement in the sporting games motivated the athletes to graduate while making their academic experience nostalgic. 

This research will help showcase that involvement in university sports is not entirely disadvantageous per se. However, it necessitates the university stakeholders to be concerned with the student’s welfare by hiring a team of professionals who will guide the students in their sporting endeavors and achieve both their academic and career goals. This empirical research will be a good source of secondary data to justify the need for various stakeholders to mentor the student-athletes and make their college learning a nostalgic experience.