Finding the Balance between Academic and Sport Motivation: A Study of NCAA Division I Student-Athletes

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational research was to assess the relationship between academic motivation and sport motivation among NCAA Division I student athletes enrolled at colleges and universities in the southern and western regions of the United States. The theoretical foundation was based on the Self-Determination Theory. The Self-Determination Theory includes three specific types of motivation: intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation. The study was comprised of three research questions, which were designed to determine the relationship between academic and sport intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation among NCAA Division I student athletes. The research was undertaken at two public higher education institutions in the southern and western portions of the United States. The sample for the study included 91 NCAA Division I student-athletes. The analysis involved nonparametric Spearman’s correlations. The findings indicated a statistically significant relationship between academic and sport intrinsic motivation among NCAA Division I student-athletes (rp = 0.210, p = 0.046). The findings indicated no statistically significant relationships between academic and sport extrinsic motivation (rp = 0.126, p > 0.05) and between academic and sport amotivation among student-athletes (rp = 0.091, p > 0.05). The results justify further research on student-athlete motivation