This research study examines the correlation between high school students‘ school-sponsored athletic participation and their academic performance. Previous studies show students who participate in school-sponsored athletic activities will have an academic advantage (Eccles, Barber, Stone, & Hunt, 2003; Hartmann, 2008). This study expands previous studies by examining whether the amount of participation has an impact on students‘ academic achievement. The research study included a sample of students from a small midwestern Christian school in the ninth and eleventh grades. This study found a negative correlation between school-sponsored athletic participation and students‘ academic performance. This study concludes that as students‘ school-sponsored athletic participation increases, their academic achievement, based on tests and GPA, will be lower than those who did not participate
