Elementary Teacher Perspectives on the impact of high performance athletics on student academic achievement

The study investigated elementary teacher perspectives on the academic achievement of high-performance athletes. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into how high-performance sports training effects the academic performance of children under the age of thirteen, as well as to learn how teachers are supporting these students’ academic success. Using a qualitative approach, three semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of elementary teachers who self-identified as being experienced in teaching high-performance student athletes. The results of the study found that the level of accommodation that participating teachers put in place for these students was dependent on teachers’ own personal athletic experiences. Teachers argued that the competitive sport level is more common than the high-performance level and that deliberate play-based sports (such as hockey) are the most prevalent in their classrooms. Participating teachers supported the increased weight being put on academic achievement for eligibility to participate in post-secondary athletics, but they saw little need for in-school accommodation toward that end at the elementary level. The study demonstrates the significance of constant communication between teacher, parent and coach, and the need for a shift in the focus of many extra-curricular athletic programs from result oriented to improvement oriented