Race, Cultural Capital, and the Educational Effects of Participation in Sports

Abstract

The relationship between participation in sports and academic achievement is examined by exploring both the factors that predict participation in different sports and the influence that participation in specific sports has on academic achievement. While previous studies analyzed the effects of participation in sports on achievement, little research has explored whether students who have fewer academic resources are more likely to play sports. Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey, this study considers whether cultural capital, household educational resources, family structure, and race are related to participation in football, basketball, or other sports and whether the effects of participation on several measures of academic achievement differ by race and sport. The findings suggest that cultural disadvantage contributes to an increased interest in and perhaps dependence on basketball and football as a means of social capital.