Global Journal of Human-Social Science, A: Arts and Humanities, Volume 21 Issue 12

Table 2: Perception of influences of personal engagement and support from social agents of student-athletes. Personal and social influences Sport Study n (%) n (%) Personal Negative 00 (0,0) 04 (1,0) Indifferent 20 (05,1) 61 (15,4) Positive 376 (94,9) 331 (83,6) Family Negative 00 (00,0) 04 (1,0) Indifferent 44 (11,1) 45 (11,4) Positive 352 (88,9) 347 (87,6) Coaches Negative 00 (00,0) 03 (08,0) Indifferent 39 (9,8) 90 (22,7) Positive 357 (90,2) 303 (76,5) Teammates Negative 00 (00,0) 21 (5,3) Indifferent 43 (10,9) 161 (40,7) Positive 353 (89,1) 214 (54,0) General Negative 00 (00,0) 03 (8,0) Indifferent 22 (5,6) 64 (16,2) Positive 374 (94,4) 329 (83,1) Source: Study data, 2021. IV. D iscussion Evidence showed that most of the student- athletes surveyed are male, noting their greater presence in sports practice in clubs and sports training programs (Leite & Sampaio, 2013). This finding reinforces the idea that boys have a higher frequency and level of sports practice than girls (Bastos, Reis, Aranha, & Garrido, 2015). Furthermore, according to Salles (1993), the average practice of physical activity decreases 2.7% with age in boys and 7.4% in girls. In the literature, it is verified that girls aged up to 16 years have moderate involvement with the practice of sports, but there is a decrease thereafter, while in boys aged 12 to 19 years, there is a balance of levels of sports practice (Vasconcelos & Maia, 2001). From a practical point of view, these findings seem to indicate that sports poles are more attractive and aimed at young male athletes. Perhaps, sports for female athletes need to be better planned, aiming to increase the development of skills that allow girls/women to feel a sense of competence and affiliation, making them more likely to participate and stay in sport (Rottenesteiner, 2013). In this study, it was possible to notice the predominant existence of athletes in the sports specialization stage (13 to 15 years old), a phase in which there is an increase in commitment to the sport and concentration on improving skills and techniques, with more frequent competitions (Côté et al., 2003; Wuerth et al., 2004). Who knows, as this is an initial period of contact with the competitiveness of the chosen sport, this stage has been more attractive to athletes than the sport investment stage, because in this last stage athletes need to demonstrate greater responsibility and independence, participating of a greater number of competitions (Côté et al., 2003; Wuerth et al., 2004; Côté et al., 2016) and make more time and shifts available for training. One of the fundamental aspects that deserve to be highlighted in the sports career development model (Côté et al., 2003; Côté et al., 2016) is the transition from one phase to another (Wuerth et al., 2004). That is, whenever athletes are about to progress, for example, from the specialization stage to the investment stage, they are obliged to meet specific sporting demands. Swimmers, for example, need to pass qualifying times to reach higher levels of competition to rise to a competitive level. Therefore, due to the growing demands, athletes must deal with more demands, stress, and time restrictions, leading them to the likely end of their sports career during the transition phases from one stage to another (Wuerth et al., 2004). Parallel to the sports specialization stage, the student-athletes in this study were in the final years of Elementary School, a school period marked by an increase in school tasks and tests, compared to the initial years. Academic performance is typically assessed through tests, assignments, and exams, which most often contribute to stressful and anxiety- provoking experiences in students. This situation is analogous to what an athlete experiences during the Volume XXI Issue XII Version I 38 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2021 A © 2021 Global Journals Sports and School Involvement and Performance: Perception of Student-Athletes