Activities and Success Later in Life
By Dr. Tim Berrett and John Paton
A survey commissioned by the Alberta (Canada) Schools' Athletic Association (ASAA) indicated that almost 80 percent of the province's senior executives who responded participated in interschool sports, and more than one-half of those surveyed said school sports significantly or extensively contributed to their career development.
The ASAA surveyed Alberta's top corporate chief executive officers and provincial officers (Member of the Legislative Assembly, MLA) to determine the extent to which those corporate and public leaders were engaged in high school sports and the perceived benefits that these individuals derived from their participation. The survey was mailed to Alberta's 83 provincial officers and the senior executives of the province's leading 146 corporations.
Of the 46 corporate executives and 46 provincial officers who responded, 78.3 percent indicated that they participated in high school sports and 100 percent graduated from high school. More than 54 percent indicated that this participation significantly assisted them in their career development.
While the results of this survey do not necessarily mean that all high school student-athletes are destined for the top of the corporate world or to enter public life, it certainly presents a compelling argument for support of interschool athletics and of the teacher-coaches and others who volunteer their time before and after school and on weekends to make sure Alberta's high school students have the chance to participate in interscholastic athletics.
Since the normal participation rate of students in high school sports in the province is about 30 to 35 percent, the fact that 76.6 percent of CEOs and 80 percent of the provincial officers participated in high school sports offers strong support for the argument that high school sports involvement is a predictor of success in later life.
In addition to the connection between sports participation and career development, 48 percent of the respondents reported a significant or extensive complementary relationship between academics and school sport participation. Other benefits associated with involvement in high school sports cited by Alberta's corporate and political leaders included physical fitness, promotion of lifelong activity, mental health, stress relief, friendship, having fun, development of character, personal growth, travel, fair play and acceptance of others.
Teamwork was the No. 1 skill learned through school sports according to the almost 100 respondents. Other skills derived through participation in sports were discipline, goal-setting, leadership, independence and self-confidence.
The most popular high school sports in which Alberta's corporate and political leaders participated were track and field, basketball and football.
A complete copy of the survey information can be obtained on the ASAA Website.
John Paton has been executive director of the Alberta Schools' Athletic Association for 15 years. He is a former physical education department head, athletic director and teacher-coach in his native Australia. He is past president of the Canadian School Sport Federation and respresents that association on the NFHS Citizenship Committee.
Tim Berrett, Ph.D., works for Caminata Consulting, based in Edmonton, Alberta, and was involved in compiling the results of the ASAA survey. Berrett is a five-time Olympian in track and field and has held several coaching positions at community to university levels.