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

competition (Dobersek & Arellano, 2017). Given these similarities, it can be speculated that student-athletes are able to transfer skills learned through sport (emotional control, concentration, resilience) to academic performance. It is possible, however, that the skills that student-athletes acquire in sport are not transferred or interfere negatively in other areas of life unless they are intentionally taught and promoted through sport (Gould & Carson, 2008). Many studies report that involvement in sports activities has positive effects on student- athletes (Maciel, Folle, Souza, Vaz, & Salles, 2017), such as healthier lifestyle, academic performance (Lipscomb, 2007), and even improvement of behaviors (Davis & Menard, 2013). However, not every researcher supports these findings, as the relationship between athletic and academic success has been a complex issue (Kelley, Soboroff, Katayama, Pfeiffer & Lovaglia, 2018). Student-athletes have many goals and time limitations that involve academic, social, and sporting demands (Scott & Castles, 2017) and fatigue or difficulty in managing these activities have a negative impact on the motivation of young people who choose to drop out to alleviate the pressure and stress caused by involvement in sport and study (Alahmed, Yusof, & Shah, 2016). Thus, the lack of time to meet the requirements of the two contexts has been the main reason for abandoning sports practice (Macarro, Romero, & Torres, 2010) and studying among young people. The number of students who are unable to complete their studies or who are unable to satisfactorily integrate into the dynamics of academic life is high. And the causes for this situation are numerous: difficulties in meeting the demands of the sports and/or school education process; psychological problems; lack of resources; lack of support and motivation; and difficulties in reconciling time (González, Pérez, Pérez, & Benítez, 2007). Thus, the lack of harmony between the two formations, unfortunately, leads many young student-athletes to failure and abandoning one or another formation (Pérez et al., 2014). The results showed a greater number of student-athletes participating in team sports, demonstrating greater acceptability for team sports, especially in adolescence (Azevedo Junior, Araújo, & Pereira, 2006). Team sports require players in a group to communicate, collaborate and work as a unit in pursuit of common goals (Dobersek & Arellano, 2017). However, it is thought that individual sports modalities have greater acceptance among girls (Corbin, 2002), perhaps explaining the smaller number of female athletes in the study, as well as practitioners of individual sports modalities. Individual sports athletes tend to be more organized, methodical, and disciplined in their studies compared to athletes who play team sports, who are less self-disciplined and more interested in competition (Lee, Whitehead, & Balchin, 2000; Gonçalves, Silva, & Cruz, 2007). About the first objective of this study, the information obtained showed that athletes perceive, in general, higher levels of positive influences for their involvement and performance, both sports and school, supporting the first hypothesis proposed for this study. This result brings us to evidence that personal influences and social agents tend to be more favorable and positive for young people than unfavorable. In this context, it is understood that as they become more and more involved with sport and with the advancement of school years, there is a need for young people to develop skills that can help them in their careers in a positive way (Holt & Dunn, 2004). The personal engagement of student-athletes, characterized by their motivation, commitment, discipline, and resilience when conducting their activities, seems to be governed by relationships that have favored their development, especially in sports. Possibly, in addition to personal engagement, the main contributors to these perceptions are the behaviors, attitudes, and support of socializing agents (Bhalla & Weiss, 2010), specifically, family members, coaches, and teammates (Côté, 1999; Keegan, Harwood, Spray, & Lavallee, 2009). Family members are a global and ubiquitous influence, while coaches and teammates exert influences both in context (usually in sport, but very little in school or at home) and situational levels (specific instances at a given point in time , such as training and competitions) (Vallerand, 1997). From this point of view, it is reflected that the student-athletes in this study perceive slightly higher levels of positive influences for the sport, compared to the study. In turn, in addition to the superiority of positive influences in the study, there was a significant number of indifferent perceptions in all dimensions, in addition to negative perceptions arising from coaches and teammates in the study. The family plays a significant role in shaping the success expectations, task values, and behaviors of young people in areas such as sport (Keegan et al., 2009) and school (Bhalla & Weiss, 2010). Involved, warm, and supportive families are associated with young student-athletes with higher levels of competence, self-esteem, and enjoyment of studying and playing sports (Maniam, 2017). In this investigation, family members showed slightly higher levels of positive influences for the study, compared to other agents. However, they presented higher levels of influence for the sport, refuting the third hypothesis of this study. Perhaps, family members are exerting a more positive influence on their children's involvement in sports, due to the beginning of sports competitiveness. The behavior of coaches is also fundamental for the participation of young athletes in the sport, as this © 2021 Global Journals Volume XXI Issue XII Version I 39 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2021 A Sports and School Involvement and Performance: Perception of Student-Athletes