"LEVEL OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS OF OUR

LADY OF LOURDES HIGH SCHOOL OF CANDONI INCORPORATED"

A Research Proposal

Presented to the

Faculty of Senior High School Department of

Our Lady of Lourdes High School of Candoni Incorporated

Municipality of Candoni

In partial Fulfillment for the course

Humanities and Social Sciences

John Paul A. Agban

2023

CHAPTER I
 INTRODUCTION

Sports involvement and academic success of students had been a topic of discussion long time
ago. Critics observed that participation in sports may reduce the time available for studying and
learning, since students were having difficulties in managing their time between hectic
schedules of sports training and requirements of academic subjects. However, sports
enthusiasts claimed that sports participation can motivate students to achieve harder, raise
scholastic ambition, can keep them attending school, can improve students' academic grades,
develop awareness the benefits of good health, fitness and exercise, and understanding the
spirit of teamwork, sportsmanship and camaraderie (Montecalvo, 2017).

In addition, academic achievement plays a vital role in helping to mold students for the future
as well as other factors. Sports participation is one of many factors that can improve students
vital time management skills.

Students are naturally among the most well-known persons at school. They are supported and
cherished by their classmates, instructors, alumni, and even school personnel. When it comes
to academics, one of the common misconceptions is that students are less intellectual, that
their professors give them easy workloads, or that they just worry about being an athlete rather
than being a student. Despite being an athlete and having practices most of the time, students
must enter classes and acquire a passing grade. Academics are the primary focus of the school
environment, and extracurricular activities played a role in molding a well-rounded individual.
Being a student is not easy. Spending most of the time on sports training instead of studying
may affect academic performance. However, sports enthusiasts claimed that sports
participation motivates students to achieve harder, attend school, and aim for high grades.
Sports can also help a student physically fit and obtain the spirit of teamwork. and
sportsmanship (Billonid, 2020).

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to answer the following:

1. What is the level of sports participation of the students?

2. What is the academic performance of the students?

3. Is there a significant relationship between level of sports participation and academic

performance of students?

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study was centered on the level of sports participation and academic performance of
students of Our Lady of Lourdes High School of Candoni, Inc. There were (30) thirty
respondents composed of students from the different departments of the said campus who
were identified through purposive sampling technique.

The study was conducted in the month of March, 2023 due the restricted movements brought
by the global health pandemic which is the COVID- 19 which further caused the delayed of the
conduct of the studies. The researchers utilize a researcher- made survey instrument to
determine the respondents response towards the objectives of the study. This study used
electronic survey using Google Form for data gathering.

Descriptive-correlational research design aimed to provide static pictures of situations as well

as establish the relationship between different variables (McBurney & White, 2009).

A researchers- made survey instrument was used as data gathering instrument captured
through survey questionnaire. It was validated by three experts and conducted.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The result of the study will viewed significant to the following:

School Head/Principal. This study provides administrators the information which they needed
in the success of their implementation of the different university sports programs Intended for
all students of the institution. This would also serve as a reference point to maximize their
potential as school managers in terms of maximizing the budget intended for sports
development of the school.

Sports Coordinator. This study would provide sports and cultural coordinator sample
information in the conduct of the different sports programs of the institution. As the head of an
 office, this will also give them the ideas and enough data on what are the areas that are
needing potential back- up and support from their offices.

Coaches and Trainers. This study will provide coaches baseline information on the strengths
and weaknesses
LEVEL OF SPORTS that their students
PARTICIPATION ANDareACADEMIC
experiencing in performingOF
PERFORMANCE two distinct roles.
STUDENTS ThisLADY
OF OUR will OF
also serve as basis for themLOURDES
to improve their
HIGH instruction
SCHOOL especially INC.
OF CANDONI, their techniques and
strategies in the conduct of their training and sport development activities to achieve good
performances from their players.

Teachers. This study would help teachers to encourage students in their respective classes to
become effective and efficient in balancing their dual roles as student at the same time
athletes. This would also give teachers information to better understand the situation that the
students of the university were experiencing with in pursuing their future careers and
professions.

Student. Results of the study would help students to become responsible, active, and well
guided during their practice and competition. This would also provide them the ideas and
information regarding on the challenges, difficulties, and adversities that their fellow students
are facing with in the pursuit of their education.

Parents. Results of the study would guide parents to become more supportive and responsible
in providing the basic needs and necessities of their children at home and even at school. This
will also provide the baseline information in the formulation of different activities at home
which can help in the development and progress of the skills of their children in terms of
sportsmanship, leadership, cooperation, and many others,

Future Researchers. This study would serve as one of the references for the conduct of future
studies of similar nature (quantitative, comparative studies, quasi-experimental, qualitative and
etc.) that focuses on the area of sports which is beneficial for the school operation and future
use.

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM
 INPUT
OUTPUT
A. Sex PROCESS
LEVEL OF SPORTS
B.Academic Year A. Administering the PARTICIPATION AND
question. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
level
OF STUDENTS OF OUR
B. Tabulation of the
C. Age LADY OF LOURDES HIGH
student's responses.
SCHOOL OF CANDONI
Independent
D. Parents' Educational Variable INCORPORATED
C. Statistical Analysis of the Dependent Variable
Attainment data and interpretation.
LEVEL OF SPORTS
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
PARTICIPATION
OF STUDENTS

Intervening Variable
Factors:
A. Sex
A. Lack of equipments in sports B. Age
B. Distance from home to school C. Section

C. Mental health condition D. Name

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This study was anchored on the Promoting Achievement in School through Sports (PASS
Theory) established in 1992, was one of the first major theories based on the belief that sports
participation is directly linked to educational attainment (American Sports Institute, 2015). ASI
views athletics as a solution to poor academic performance in school and the PASS program
helps students see the connections between athletic and academic success (Muir, 2005). Sports
offer the best possible path for challenge, engagement, learning, and achievement (American
Sports Institute, 2015).

The eight main objectives of the PASS program were linked to both athletic and academic
experiences. Their interchangeable nature makes the transition from sports to academics
seamless. In both academic and physical pursuits, students will improve their ability to
concentrate over a prolonged period of time, (a) being able to focus on the task at hand and
block out distractions and negative thoughts; (b) be balanced when physically active and able to
balance their time, both in school and outside of school; (c) relax and stay in control when in
class, taking tests, doing homework, and participating in physical activities; (d) exert
appropriate amounts of power without undue stress; (e) establish rhythm by maintaining
regular schedules and activities; (f) be flexible in order to establish better relationships with
teachers and classmates, be open to new ideas, and remain injury free; (g) trust and act on
instinct in order to enhance test scores, creativity, decision-making, and reaction; and (h)
develop an attitude of patience, perseverance, and staying positive in order to see things
through to their completion (American Sports Institute, 2015). According to the PASS Theory
(American Sports Institute, 1996), these objectives, when carried out effectively, will
consistently lead to improvement in athletic and academic performance.

More so, sports participation of students is considered as independent variable of the study.

On the other hand, the dependent variable of the study was focused on the academic
performance of students.

On the next page is the schematic diagram showing the interaction of the variables used in the
study.

HYPOTHESIS

Based on the aforementioned statement of the problems, the hypothesis isformulated.

There is no significant relationship between the sports participation and academic performance
of students.
 DEFINITION OF TERMS

For clarity and deep understanding on the major terms used in this study, the conceptual and
operational definitions were hereby given.

Academic Performance. Conceptually, academic performance is the knowledge gained which is

assessed by marks by a teacher or educational goals set by students and teachers to be
achieved over a specific period of time (Narad and Abdullah, 2016).

Operationally, it referred to the measured general weighted average (GWA) of the students of
Our Lady of Lourdes High School Candoni, Inc in the two (2) quarters of Academic Year 2022-
2023 with at least five (5) subjects.

Sports Participation. Conceptually, sports participation is the purposeful active participation in

sports related physical activities performed during leisure-time (Deelen, 2018). Operationally, it
referred to the students' involvement in sports events in Enter Barkada,

Enter Barangay, Municipality Meet, COE Cup, Regional Level, National Level, International Level,
Olympic Level and Sea Games.

Student. Conceptually, a person who is studying at school or college. (Oxford Dictionary, 2021).

Operationally, it referred to students of Our Lady of Lourdes High School of Candoni, Inc who
are joining in sports events in Enter Barkada, Enter Barangay, Municipality Meet, COE Cup,
Regional Level, National Level, International Level, Olympic Level and Sea Games.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Foreign Study

According to Weiner (2016) argued that attributing failure to more stable, internal, and
uncontrollable causes (innate ability) is detrimental to later motivation and achievement
strivings. This type of attribution is thought to lead to a more hopeless emotional response and
lowered expectations for later success (Hareli & Weiner, 2017). In contrast, however, it is seen
as more beneficial for subsequent motivation to attribute failure to more unstable but
controllable causes such as effort and strategy (Walters, Fan, & Daugherty, 2019). Failure in
high school athletic competitions can easily be attributed to a lack of effort or an ineffective
strategy. The realization of this attribution can create persistence in a commitment to
improvement in future competitions. This type of attribution leaves open the potential for
change and, therefore, provides for greater hopefulness and higher expectations on
subsequent tasks (Walters et al., 2019). There is little doubt that positive and negative
outcomes, respectively, give rise to general positive and negative emotions (Weiner, 2020).
Environment also plays a key role in the attribution theory. When students are successful, they
attribute this success to their abilities, but when students fail, they attribute thefailures to other
environmental factors (Knesting, 2015). The role that the school environment plays on student
motivation is significant. Athletic teams can create an engaging and supporting environment
outside of a traditional classroom. Students’ beliefs about why they may or may not be
successful in various pursuits can influence the extent to which they are likely to invest effort in
these pursuits, which in turn affects the level of achievement likely to be experienced
(Rosevear, 2017). Students’ beliefs about themselves on the athletic field may transcend to
their belief about themselves in the classroom. According to the attribution theory, when
students fail, they will likely persist and possibly succeed only if they attribute failure to a lack of
effort (Weiner, 2018). Luckily for student athletes, failure in competition, more often than not,
is not due to lack of effort but is usually the result of competing against a better team.
However, if students do blame a lack of effort as a major reason they lost a competition, then it
is possible that they can be motivated to work harder for future competitions. The work ethic
that students develop from participating in sports can be used in the classroom. Finally, the
attribution theory validates the argument that if educators truly want students to persist
academically, then they must help them establish a sincere belief that they are competent.
Competency is encouraged through participation in sports because good coaches set realistic
expectations of their athletes, and once those expectations are met, student athletes realize
that they are competent (Mageau & Vallerand, 2019). The influence coaches can have on their
athletes is powerful. Teachers and school psychologists

should be aware of the positive influence they can have on students through positive
relationships (Lessard, Fortin, Marcotte, & Egide, 2019). Student athletes know that their
coaches believe in them. If there is a strong connection between teachers and students or
coaches and students, and if a high expectation is in place, then students will likely persist and
remain enrolled in school and eventually graduate.Dropout prevention efforts start with
establishing positive relationships with students (Lessard et al., 2021).

A large-scale self-report survey was conducted in Shenzhen, in March 2021, China, by using
convenience sampling. The target respondents were the students at local public primary
schools. The survey was conducted in each district of Shenzhen. Grades 1–3 were not included
in this study because of the students’ limited cognitive ability to take part in the study survey.
Grade 6 students were also excluded because of their preparation for the middle school
entrance examination. As a result, only grade 5 students were included in the study.

Before the survey was conducted, all the students and their parents were informed of the
general information and purpose of the survey. It was emphasized that the students were free
to decide whether to take the survey or not, and the data collected in this way would be kept
anonymous during collection and analysis. The students completed the questionnaires online,
using computers in the schools independently. The questionnaires were handed out to the
students through an online platform of the questionnaire (https://www.wjx.cn/, accessed on 1
December 2022). Before going to the page of formal response, the electronic page of informed
consent was presented to the respondents. This study was conducted based on an approval
from the Research Committee of Shenzhen University (No. 2020005) and schools that
participated in the survey. The approval date was 21 May 2020.

Students’ participation in physical activity within the school setting can take a variety of forms,
with a broad classification outlining three major types: (a) physical education classes, (b) school
sports, and (c) free-time activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Physical
education is often the dominant form of physical activity in schools due to its widespread
prevalence and mandate by most school districts. The components of physical education
classes often vary by school, teacher, class, region, and season. Generally, students are given a
range of activities that are individual or team based, with periodic testing of specific skills to
measure levels of fitness. Questions remain, however, regarding the actual amounts of activity
students achieve in physical education classes. School sports is a second type of physical activity
of increasing interest to researchers. Sports within middle and high schools vary widely by
school level and type, grade level, district resources, and individual student preferences, and
school sports can occur both in team (e.g., soccer, basketball) or individual (e.g., tennis, cross
country) contexts. Unlike physical education, participation in school sports is rarely mandated
by schools or districts.

To date, the preponderance of evidence regarding the ability of school-based physical activity
to enhance academic achievement comes from experimental and nonexperimental designs
examining either physical education or specialized physical-activity interventions. There has
been too little research to date on school sports participation (Pate et al., 2018). This is despite
promising evidence that school sports may promote both physical activity and student
academic outcomes due to important social contexts, increased involvement with school
resources, and identification with school values (Marsh & Kleitman, 2018; Trudeau & Shephard,
2018). The lack of school sports research is unfortunate given the popularity of school sports
and athletics, and the large proportion of children’s physical activity that is comprised by school
sports. Nationally representative data indicate that more than half of high school students
annually participate in school sports (Kann et al., 2019; Pate et al., 2021). In all, there exists a
great need for additional research that extends the robust findings linking general physical
activity and academic achievement to school sports.

Local Study

The effect of participating in athletics as a youth en academic performance is theoretically

ambiguous Par- nicipation may reduce the time available for studying and learning. Conversely,
it has been argued that sports participation increases students' motivation and teaches
teamwork and self-discipline, resulting in positive academic spillovers. Studies have, in fact,
shown that high school athletes receive better grades (Darling & Barber, 2016) have higher
educational and occupational aspirations and have a more positive attitude towards school
than non-athletes. However, these associations may simply be a reflection of unobserv ables
correlated with both sports participation and the cutcome under study as opposed to causal in
nature. To our knowledge, to date there has been no attempt in the empirical literature to
distinguish between these hypotheses.? Here we use data from the National Longitudinal Study
of Adolescent Health to examine the relationship between sports participation and several
measures of adolescent academic performance including grade point average (GPA), whether
the respondera reported having difficulty with completing homework and paying atten-tion in
class, and whether the student reported having aspirations to attend college. Controlling for a
wide set of individual- and family-level observables, ordinary least squares estimates suggest
that sports participation is associated with an increase in GPA of approximately 0.17 points. In
contrast, fixed effects and instrumental variables estimates of the relationship between sports
participation and grades are usually much smaller in magnitude or are of the opposite sign. This
pattern of results suggests that the positive association between sports participation and
academic performance can, in large part, be explained by individual-level unmeasured
heterogeneity as opposed to academic spillovers.

Based on previous studies, the purposes of the present research include the examination of the
ationship between scenic performans and aporta participation, providing more academe
evidence, and confirming the positive effect of sports team participation on cognitive outcomes
among anmary school students in Philippines. In summary, the present study found that aporta
participation could improve the academic performance of students.

The importance of sport participation for math is aften reflected in the cognitive functions of
the brain (32) with the production of dopamine otunin and norepinephrine during exercise,
tree neurotransmitters ociated with the cerebellum ability to decode and encode(33) As early
as 2018, a study found that students with wook athletic skits also performed poorly numeracy,
and that performing body movements while studying math improved math scores in the lower
grades of elementary school [34] For younger students particular, those who scored lower on
teats of flexibility, speed, and semivity of hands cured lower on tests of roading and arithmetic.
From a neuroscientific post of vew moderate to vigorous physinal activity nared with white
matter health, and as brain protes Improve, so do reconnections and conduction in different
brain rogens (35) Daly aerobic exercise can also increase the vol of canal grey and can improve
cognitive function and creativity. Because exercise optimizes the structural and functional
connections of the brain hemispheres, it can improve both motor skills and mathematical
thought processes This is confirmed by Dumas's (2019) (36) hour sports program which
students are at school at 7 am and overcise before classes begin, until their heart at its peak or
70% of their 902 max The experiment found that the experimental group who cook meth
courses in the morning improved their learning more than twice as much as the control group
who took math courses in the aftamoon 6 This is because roaster produced after exercise play
an important role lesning.

In addition, according to previous studies, sports play a more significant male in language and
other heal arts learning which is due to the positive effect of sports on attention and memory
[37] Allet exercise, aige amount of serotonin is produced, which a related to memory and
emotion, that the learning effect can be greatly Improved [38] At the same time, the secretion
of norenephrine and dopamine has a dract relationsh with attention, 10 students concentration
to enhanced Therefore, with proper exercise stidants waai not only become happy, but also pay
more attention in class. After receiving positive feedback from their study, their grades would
continue to improve in a contrated study, students who participated in regular exercise had
about 10% better reading and comprehension skila than those who only took regular gym
classes (29) Therefore, post studies emphasize that exercise promotes new train cuts and
connections between nerve cella in the train, enhancing fran plasticity, which is conduche to
the development of language sense. For example, the brain's processing of letters connoted by
two different parts 140 The right brain is used to depict images, while the left bra symbolizes
the observed content. Therefore, the flexible. switching of bram functions is necessary for
language teaching: Alongside that, exercise can enhance heart and lung function, and large lung
capacity can make students pronounce words more smoothly [41]. This indicates that the good
develoment of articulation organe can improve articulation clarity to some extent and cultivate
confidence in language learning at a young age much as possible. At the same time inactive
children cenally have motor development delays, their social and emotional ability would see
be delayed and their frequency of communcation with others is also a major constraint on
language development (42) Therefore a larger range of activities means an increase in social
Coverage Another interesting findings that gets did not find a significant doce relationship in
Chinese and math, which may be caused by gender differences and subject differences. With an
increase in sports participation the dose response of different gender to academic performance
in different [43] The same varables, therefore lead to this deference. Thus, there were
cifferences in the dose relationships across subjects between boys and guts in future research,
mora high- quality research should be devoted to improving girls self- perceptions and well-
being during sports participation.

Foreign Literature

According to Trudeau and Shepard (2016) reviewed the literature on the relationship between
PE, school physical activity and school sports on academic performance. They concluded that
physical activity can be added to the school curriculum by taking time from other subjects
without the risk of hindering student's academic achievement. Further conclusions were made
stating the literature strongly suggests that academic achievement, physical fitness and health
of children will not be improved by Emiting the time allocated to PE instruction, school physical
activity and sports programmes. It was also reported that cross-sectional studies generally
indicate a positive association between physical activity and academic achievement.

A review by Singh et al (2019) aimed to describe the prospective relationship between physical
activity and academic performance, focusing only on longitudinal studies. It was concluded that
participation in physical activity is positively related to academic performance in children,
however only 2 high quality studies were found and the need for future high-quality studies
was highlighted. These future studies should also examine the dose-response relationship
between the two variables. as well as explanatory mechanisms for this relationship.

Taras (2020) reviewed literature investigating the association between physical activity and
academic outcomes among school-aged children. It was recognised that physical activity is well
associated with improved overall health and that among school-aged children it can help
develop social skills, improve mental health, and reduce risk-taking behaviours. It was
concluded that there may be some short-term benefits of physical activity, such as
concentration. The long-term improvement on academic performance is a result of more
vigorous physical activity but further research is needed in this area.

According to American study by Nelson and Gordon-Larsen (2016) found that from a cohort of
11,1957 American seventh to twelfth graders, those who were active were more likely to
achieve higher grades in Mathematics and English. In agreement with these findings, Lipscomb
(2019) found that participation in sport amongst 16,449 American eighth graders was
associated with a 2% increase in Mathematics and Science tests scores and a 5% increase in
Bachelor degree attainment expectations. Both of these studies used self-reported levels of
physical activity. In a similar manner, Sigfúsdóttir, Kristjánsson & Allegrante (2020) explored the
relationship between self-reported physical activity and academic achievement in 5,810
Icelandic 14 and 15 year olds. They concluded that the correlation between the two variables
was positive, although only of modest strength. Despite the similar age ranges of these studies,
the strength of the impact of physical activity appears to vary in accordance with the country in
which the study took place. These varying degrees of impact may be the result of the intensity,
quality or type of activity participated in and possibly linked to cultural differences. The above
studies using self-reported physical activity data rely upon subjective data which is liable to
inaccuracies, whereas studies that use objective measures such as accelerometer data are of
higher quality as in the study undertaken by Booth et al (2021).

Similarly, Darling, Caldwell and Smith (2015) also discovered that young adolescent athletes
also hold higher academic aspirations than non-athletes, when asked what was the highest
level they expect to reach in school is. This was ranked using a 1-6 rating scale of likeliness of
staying at school by each research participant. Additionally, this study revealed that the more
time spent participating in sport, the higher the individual's aspirations were. Thus, it is
unsurprising that academics have claimed that sport increases the effort which young people
exert academically.Jonker et al (2016) found that elite Dutch football players aged 12-16 self-
reported higher levels of effort; willingness to achieve a task goal, in school than the control
group who did not participate in sport. In a similar way, it is unsurprising that Mahar (2017),
reported increased and improved on-task behaviour amongst American elementary school
students following short bouts of physical activity in a classroom setting.

Stead and Neville (2018) also contribute to this topic of researching by noting that as little as 10
minutes of additional organised physical activity in or outside the classroom implemented into
the school day improves classroom behaviour, and consequently may enhance academic
performance.These outcomes of sporting participation on academic performance can be seen
as the result of non- sporting skills and habits which sport can teach individuals.

The enhanced learning abilities of students are often noted as an example of this. Schilling et al
(2020) report that being active and moving during play facilitates verbal, visual, and
kinaesthetic learning, whilst Jonker et al (2020) mention an increased use of self-regulatory
skills amongst athletes, particularly effort, monitoring and evaluation. These findings are also
reflected in the work of Pfeifer and CorneliBen (2021) who concluded that sport encourages the
development of behavioural habits such as discipline; increases young people's motivation and
confidence, and assists in the teaching of skills such as following instructions. Thus, this not only
leads to an increased willingness to reach their potential, but also provides them with the basic
skills needed to do this.
Another positive outcome of sporting participation is increased productivity as a result of
enhanced attention. Castelli et al (2017) and Kamijo et al (2019) both reported that young
people who are more physically active appear to have greater allocations of attention resources
for the working memory, which will undoubtedly help them when learning in school.

According to Choi et al (2015) addresses this gap in the literature, recognising the wide range
of positive outcomes that exposure to sports competition can have on children early in life
(behavioural, physical and psychosocial). Most notably, through competition children are
provided with excellent opportunities to build their skills, develop their social adjustment;
integration and emotional growth. Competition is also thought to contribute to children's ability
to work with others in the achievement of shared goals. When it comes to long-term success,
competition helps children be better prepared for the challenges they will face in the future,
whilst helping them to learn effective emotional and psychological skills and strategies to deal
with winning and losing, as well as success and failure (Choi et al, 2017).

Local literature

Children's engagement in sports competition is known to contribute to the developmental

outcomes for a healthy lifestyle, where children leam about physical, social and cognitive skills
(Choi et al, 2015), More broadly, engagement in physical activity is also recognised to
contribute a range of positive outcomes, specifically: physical and mental health, social
wellbeing cognitive and academic performance (Bailey et al, 2016). For young people to achieve
such outcomes it is recognised that physical education (PE) in schools is an ideal vehicle to
promote physical activity due to its availability to all young people. Whilst teachers also have
the opportunity to integrate this into the overall education process (Telford et al 2018). The
associations found for participation in competitive sport and physical activity often yield
multiple benefits. Bailey et al (2018) recognise that such benefits are not autonomous,
independent or disconnected, but instead reinforce each other. Despite these recognised
benefits, it remains a concern that within schools "the increasing pressures to improve
academic scores often lead to additional instructional time for subjects such as mathematics
and language at the cost of time for being physically active" (Singh et al, 2019). In agreement,
Trudeau and Shepard (2021) stated that if we want to improve the academic achievement,
physical fitness and health of our young people, we should not be limiting the time allocated to
PE and school sport. Where possible, this review draws upon evidence that explores the impact
of competitive school sport on young people. However, due to the limited research available on
these competition specific outcomes, the findings presented focus on the role physical activity,
PE and school sport play on the holistic development of the child. Particular attention has been
paid to the academic, diet and health and wellbeing outcomes for young people.
It is proposed that a significant benefit of sports participation is the decreased risk of
developing chronic diseases. While young people do not usually suffer from chronic illnesses
such as heart disease, diabetes or osteoporosis, risk factors can begin to develop early in life
(US Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). A report entitled "Physical Activity
Guidelines for Americans" which was published by the US Department of Health and Human
Services in 2016 suggests that regular physical activity reduces the likelihood of the risk factors
developing and therefore increases the chances of children remaining healthy as adults (US
Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). McMurray and Andersen (2017) corroborate
these claims by also implying that sport decreases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
and other chronic illnesses. However, ther does not appear to be any tangible evidence
surrounding this topic. Future research needs to focu on providing sufficient figures on this
relationship, Moreover, longitudinal studies would be highly beneficial in explaining the link and
causality further. Sports participation has also been associated with a reduced risk of obesity
(Ness et al, 2018). The discussion concerning the relationship between sport and obesity has
become more prominent over the last two decades as the worldwide crisis of obesity has
emerged and escalated. The 2011 Health Survey for England report indicated that
approximately 3 in 10 boys and girls aged 2 to 15 were dassified as overweight (31%) or obese
(28%) (The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2019). The Foresight Report, produced
by Butland et al (2020) estimated the projected 2050 English obesity rates to be 26% for males
and females under the age of 20, 14% by 2025, and 10% by 2015. Thus, it is unsurprising that a
variety of methods are being introduced to reduce the likelihood of this obesity epidemic.

Many individuals, organisations and governmental departments suggest that physical activity
and sport has the potential to reduce body fat, and therefore decrease the risk of obesity
(Burke et al, 2017; US Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). Burke et al (2018)
found that greater fitness amongst 602 Australian 11-14 year olds was associated with a
reduced risk of obesity. Moreover, a study by Dencker et al (2019) on the effects of physical
activity on the percentage of body fat of 248 Swedish 8-11 year olds revealed that there is a
strong cross-sectional association between physical activity and obesity. Additionally, this
appears to be stronger for the higher intensity activity (Dencker et al, 2020). Ness et al (2021)
found similar findings in a cross sectional analysis on 5,500 12 year old children who were
enrolled into the English Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The results of this
study illustrated that moderate to vigorous physical activity.