Sports and Academic Achievement Essay Example for Free

Sports and Academic Achievement Essay Many studies have been done regarding the positive impact that athletics has on a student’s life. Studies have looked at the physical impact that athletics has on a student’s life like sportsmanship, healthy lifestyle, discipline, strategy, and time management. We will be looking at studies that have explored the impact that athletics has on students’ academic abilities. Academic success can be measured in many ways but we will explore grade point averages, math and English test scores, and graduation success rates to show the positive impact athletics has on a student’s academic abilities. Introduction Participating in athletics offers students the opportunity to learn valuable lessons they can use for the rest of their lives. Some lessons include teamwork, self-esteem, perseverance, discipline, time management, and healthy living. However, these lessons are not the only lessons a student learns. Students also learn lessons that carry over into the classroom and have a positive impact on academic achievement. These lessons include increased memory, diligence, time management, and memory capacity which can be supported by scientist that have researched the impact of physical activity on the brain. These studies have concluded that exercise causes â€Å"neurogenesis†, the process of growing cells in the brain therefore, increasing memory and learning capacities (Blaydes, 2011). The National Federation of State High School Associations in their 2008, â€Å"The Case for High School Activities† article shows that the return on investment on athletic programs and other extr acurricular activities is very high. Look more:  essay on perseverance â€Å"At a cost of only one to three percent (or less in many cases) of an overall school’s budget, high school activity programs are one of the best bargins around. It is in these vital programs – sports, music, speech, drama, debate – where young people learn lifelong lessons as that compliment the academic lessons taught in the classroom† (p. 1) Students who participate in athletics will experience greater academic success than students who do not participate in athletics. Using various research studies I will support this hypothesis by detailing the correlations between academic achievement and athletic participation. Students who participate in athletics have higher grade point averages (GPA), higher Math and English scores, and obtain higher levels of graduation rates and continue on to higher education. Grade Point Averages of athletes vs. non-athletes One of the measurements of academic success is grade point averages. High grade point averages indicate one’s diligence, perseverance and desire to succeed. Students who participate in athletics have higher GPA’s than students who do not participate in athletics. The 2002 study conducted by Schaben and Stevens of middle school students showed that students who participated in athletics had an average GPA of 3.15 compared to nonathletic students which carried an average GPA of 2.4 (p. 38). Another study of high school students by Stegman and Stephens (2000) found that both male and female students that had low athletic participation carried lower GPA’s. Male students in the 12th grade that did not participate in athletics carried an average GPA of 3.04 compared to 3.18 of male 12th graders that did participate. Female students in the 12th grade that did not participate in athletics carried an average GPA of 3.28 compared to 3.62 of female 12th grades that did participate (p. 3). Athletic participation directly impacts grade point averages of students that participate; therefore, students who participate in athletics have more academic success than students who do not participate in athletics. Math and English scores of athletes vs. non-athletes High math scores indicate academic success because it shows a student’s ability for problem solving, logical thinking and calculations. High English scores indicate academic success in students by way of writing abilities and communication abilities. Students who participate in athletics have higher Math and English grades than students who do not participate in athletics. Students who participated in athletics were found to have an average final grade of 74.5 in Math and 74.6 in English. Students that did not participate in athletics were found to have an average final grade of 715 in Math and 70.3 in English (Zaugg, 1998, p. 68). A North Carolina High School study of students who participate in athletics found that students who did not participate in athletics had an average Math grade of 57.9 and 50.8 for English compared to those students who did participate that had an average Math grade of 66.1 and 61.4 in English (2001, NCHSAA Bulletin, p. 2). Studies have consistently shown that participation in athletics directly impacts a student’s scores in Math and English to be higher than students that do not participate in athletics. Graduation Rates of athletes vs. non-athletes Students who participate in athletics have higher graduation rates and continue on to higher learning more often than students who do not participate in athletics. This is an academic success indicator because the athletic student is graduation and continuing on in their academic success in college. The National Center for Education Statistics followed high school athletes 8 years after graduation and found that elite athletes and varsity athletes are more than 1.70 times more likely to have postsecondary education (2005, Carlson, Planty, Scott, and Thompson, p. 11). Male students who do not participate in athletics are 4% less likely to obtain a college degree than those males students who did participate in athletics. There was a similar correlation between female non-athletes and female athletes (2001, Caudill and Long, p.529). Athletic students have a higher graduation rate than non-athletic students and athletic students continue on to higher education more often than non-athlet ic students. Objection of higher academic success in athletes One objection to the impact that athletics has on academics success is a study showing that non-athletes have higher ACT/SAT scores. In the 1997 Chronicle of Education article by Jim Naughton, students that did not participate in athletics had higher ACT scores (average 21+) than students who did participate in athletics (average of 19) (p. A44). In the study of high school seniors in Eastern Tennessee (2010, Gorman, p. 80) recorded no significant difference in ACT scores between participating and non-participating students. This objection disputes the findings that athletes have more academic success than non-athletes. Conclusion As the studies have shown, the impact of athletics isn’t just physical. â€Å"Interscholastic sports also promote life skills and lessons and enhance academic performance† (Lumpkin Stokowski, 2011). Those lessons carry over in the classroom and boost grade point averages, as well as the scores of Math and English. It has been found that athletic students have a higher frequency of graduation and continue on to higher education than non-athletic students. Students who participate in athletics have more academic success than students who do not participate in athletics. References Barber, B. L., Eccles, J. S. Stone, M. R. (2001). Whatever happened to the Jock, the Brain, and the Princess? : Young adult pathways linked to adolescent activity involvement and social identity. Journal of Adolescent Research, 16, 429-455. doi: 10.1177/0743558401165002 Blaydes, J. (2011, Fall). How to make learning a moving experience. Seen Magazine, 13(2), 78-79. Carlson, D., Planty, M., Scott, L., Thompson, J. (2005). Statistics in Brief: What is the status of high school athletes 8 years after their senior year? (NCES 2005303). Retrieved from the National Center for Education Statistics website http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/nels88/ Caudill, S. B. Long, J. E. (1991, August). The impact of participation in intercollegiate athletics on income and graduation. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 73(3), 525-531. Gorman, D. A. (2010). The effect of athletic participation on academic achievement for high school seniors in Eastern Tennessee (Doctorial dissertation). Liberty University , Lynchburg, VA. Lumpkin, A. Stokowski, S. (2011, Spring). Interscholastic sports: A character-building privilege. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 47(3), 124-8. National Federation of State High School Associations. (2008). The case for high school activities. (NFHS Report). Retrieved from Oregon School Activities Association website: www.osaa.org/osaainfo/08CaseForHSActivities.pdf Naughton, J. (1997). Athletes on top-ranked teams lack grades and test scores of other students. Chronicle of Higher Education, 43(46), 43-44. Schaben, L. A. Stephens, L. J. (2000, February). The effect of interscholastic sports participation on academic achievements of middle level school students. NASSP Bulletin, 86(34), 34-41. doi: 10.1177/019263650208663005 Stegman, M. Stephens, L. J. (2000). Athletics and academics: are they compatible? High School Magazine, 7(6), 36-9. Unknown. (2001, Fall). High school athletes outperform nonathletes again by wide margins in massive statewide academic study. North Carolina High School Athletic Association Bulletin, 54(1), 2. Zaugg, H. (1998). Academic comparison of athletes and non-athletes in a rural high school. NASSP Bulletin, 82, 63-72. doi: 10.1177/019263659808259910

The Transformation of the “Indian Problem” :: Essays Papers

The Transformation of the â€Å"Indian Problem† In this paper, I plan to examine the marked transformation and the history of the so-called â€Å"Indian Problem.† The idea of an â€Å"Indian Problem† began with the arrival of white settlers in North America, and for them, it was a problem of safety, security, and land acquisition. Around 1890, the â€Å"Indian Problem† became an issue of how to help the Indians go extinct humanely, or to assimilate into white culture. The current conception of the â€Å"Indian Problem† started after World War II, and the pursuing civil rights movement. People saw that the Indians weren’t going extinct and that they were keeping their cultures alive, and the â€Å"Indian Problem† shifted to undoing the damage that the policies of the federal government had caused. I will be discussing the fact that the profound problems which characterize the â€Å"Indian Problem† now are a direct result of the actions taken in response to previous conception s of the â€Å"Indian Problem.† The â€Å"Indian Problem† emerged as an issue for white settlers who perceived Indians as savages, as a sub-human race. Because white settlers viewed Indians this way, they thought it was okay to use excessive military force. Through 19th century, this military force was used to conquer Indians and move them from their native lands and resettle them. Sicknesses that the white settlers had brought with them devastated the Indian population because Indians had not encountered these illnesses before, and they had no natural immunity to them. Additionally, white-Indian relations seem as though they were fragile from the start, perhaps with both sides over-reacting at times. Leaders of the new English colonies often used aggression and murder to try to intimidate the Indians into submission, and into giving food to the English. Angered at this treatment, Indians began fighting back, and killing, too. In some instances, the white settlers raided and stole food from the India ns. This worsened the already fractured relations between the two groups. Unprovoked attacks and kidnaping alternated with friendship and trade. From their experiences, Indians realized that these early Europeans were powerful and dangerous people who could not be trusted. However, the Indians had the advantage of sheer numbers and an understanding of the land. For the English, their experiences strengthened their idea that they were superior to these â€Å"savages† in many ways, including culture, technology, societal organization and religion.

Poets present a culture Essay

Many poets present their own cultures in many different ways. â€Å"Search for my tongue† by Sujata Bhatt is about an Indian woman who moved to the United States. She feels out of place, and the poet explains what it is like to speak and think in two languages. We see that she wonders whether she might lose the language she began with, fearing that she is not herself. We also find out that her mother tongue remains with her in her dreams, but sometimes fails to come to surface. However, by the end, she is confident that it will always be part of who she is. â€Å"Presents from My Aunt in Pakistan† is about a girl who was born in Pakistan. She came to England when she was young. When she gets older she received gifts from her aunts in Pakistan. She gets various traditional Pakistani clothes. Whenever she thought about her nationality she did not feel whole.   he poem was written to show how the girl felt when her friends saw her clothes. The poem is written in free verse: the phrases are arranged loosely across the page. It is divided into stanzas of varying length. This poem has many small details which are spotted by the reader. These details give an insight to their lives as children, whether the memories are good or bad, it is these memories that make them who they are.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Small tin boats†Ã‚  The main difference the poet uses is the comparison of eastern and western life. The main thing that the poet used is clothing. The monologue spoken by the girl shows how she respects her eastern culture, yet longs for western lifestyles. The main reason she would not like to wear her eastern clothes seems to be that is it impractical. In Pakistan, the more intricate and detailed the clothes, the more fashionable; however that is not always the case in all western places.  As both of these poems are written as monologues, they both use enjambment, this gives a sense of speed or urgency. It also personalises the poem as if someone was speaking it. â€Å"Search for my tongue† is written in 3 stanzas the second of which is written in Gujarati.

Preventing Chilhood Obesity Parenting Programme For...

PUBLIC HEALTH - ASSIGNMENT 2 PREVENTING CHILHOOD OBESITY – PARENTING PROGRAMME FOR EARLY YEARS BACKGROUND Obesity, defined as ‘an excessive amount of body fat relative to body weight’ (Heyward, 2010, p.232) has reached global epidemic proportions and it is the fifth leading risk for global deaths with 2.8 million adults dying every year (World Health Organization, 2013). In addition, worldwide, more than 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight in 2011 (World Health Organization, 2013a). Consequently, childhood obesity is becoming a serious problem and a major public health challenge for the 21st century. It is crucial that prevention starts to be a high priority (World Health†¦show more content†¦Data are also available from the Health Survey for England (HSE), which includes a smaller sample of children than the NCMP but covers a wider age range. Results from 2014 show that 31.2% of children aged 2 to 15 were classed as either overweight or obese (Public Health England, 2013). Prediction of the direct costs to the NHS for treating overwei ght and obesity, and related morbidity in England, have varies from  £479.3 million in 1998 to  £4.2 billion in 2007. Estimates of the indirect costs (those costs arising from the impact of obesity on the wider economy such as loss of productivity) over the same time period ranged between  £2.6 billion and  £15.8 billion (Public Health England,2013). Obesity for children is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) 95th percentile for age and gender. Mothers are classified as obese when their BMI is over 30Kg/m2, or non-obese when the BMI is under 30kg/m2, on the basis of Body Mass Index calculated in the first trimester of pregnancy. A BMI over 30kg/m2 in the early stage of pregnancy is identified as one of the risk factors for development of childhood obesity. Knowing those, could help to identify children who are in need of early obesity prevention efforts. Maternal obesity in early pregnancy, more than doubles the risk of childhood obesity, especially among low-income families (R.Whitaker,2004). Nowadays, are twice as many obese children as there were 20 years ago. To slower