The Effects of Participation in Interscholastic Sports on Latino Students’ Academic Achievement

Abstract

Past studies have established a positive link between participation in school-sponsored extracurricular activities and academic achievement. But few studies have focused on how participation in extracurricular activities might impact Latino students’ academic achievement. As participation in extracurricular activities has increased over time among the Latino student population, it is possible that academic benefits of participation have changed. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, this study examines the link between participating in interscholastic sports and academic outcomes for Latino high school students and whether Latino students participate in interscholastic sports to the same extent as other racial/ethnic groups. Results suggest a positive association between participation in interscholastic sports and mathematics scores for Latino students, and also a larger gain in mathematics scores in comparison to White students. In addition, results indicate that Latino students do not have the same access to these types of extracurricular activities as other students.