Department of Education

LIBERTAD NATIONAL
HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School
Science, Technology,
Engineering &
Coping Mechanisms of Mathematics Grade 11 STEM Athletes:

Thriving in their Academics Regardless of their Missed Lessons

A Qualitative Research Paper

Presented to

The Faculty of Libertad National High School

Senior High School

Surallah Municipality

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for Practical Research I

By:

Daniel Antonio1, Daisy Jane Aranda2, Angel Grace Daylusan3, Joverly Grace Dones4, Keisha

Gale Guaro5, Nicole Jet Nemeño6, Keith John Poral7, Crizyll Rellon8, Mehanie Tangonan9

March 2024

STEM – Neutron
 2

Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

This chapter discusses concepts, ideas, and theories relevant to the title of this research,

which is Coping Mechanisms of Grade 11 STEM Athletes: Thriving in their Academics

Regardless of their Missed Lessons.

Coping Mechanisms

Time Management

Time management involves planning, organizing, scheduling, and budgeting one's time

to increase productivity and work effectiveness. Given that time cannot be preserved and

cannot be made more or less available than a 24-hour period, it is distributed among

competing demands in a priority-based manner.

The study by Billonid et al. (2020) aims to establish a link between athletic

participation and academic performance through time management in order to further

reinforce sports involvement's strength in enhancing memory, student concentration, learning

efficiency, and ultimately, academic achievement on a specified parameter. The study

specifically showed a positive correlation between the student-athletes' academic

achievement and sports participation, which in turn proved that sports participation developed

and boosted their academic excellence, self-discipline, mental/cognitive development, and

class participation.

According to Athlete (2023), being a student athlete always puts them in a situation

where both the world of sports and the classroom require them to perform at their best. It can

be very difficult to find the correct balance between academic obligations and athletic
 3

endeavors. But they have a powerful tool at their disposal that can make this journey both

enriching and manageable: time management. Go deeper into the practice of time

management for student athletes in this comprehensive book, covering mental components,

stress-reduction techniques, and methods to help student athletes succeed in both athletics

and academics.

Time management is more than just a tool for student athletes—it's a hidden weapon. If

the student athlete takes it all in, its principles can turn the experience from a disorganized

circus act into a masterfully organized piece. The student athletes will succeed in the

classroom and on the field and enjoy every second of adventure if they have less stress, more

confidence, and a stronger sense of control. Understand time management as a way of life

and see an increase in productivity, well-being, and personal development. It can become the

best version of an individual as an athlete and a student. The admission ticket to success in a

world where perfection is expected in every area of life is effective time management.

Students who participate in sports also play the role of athletes, and they have

obligations to both. Student-athletes need to figure out how to divide their time between these

two responsibilities. Although academics is a student's main focus in the classroom, co-

curricular and/or extracurricular activities play an equally important role in developing well-

rounded people since “our learners need outlets through co-curricular or extra-curricular

activities to ease their stress, tension, and anxieties brought by the health crisis. Co-curricular

activities have been proven to have a positive impact on the health and well-being of our

learners,” Director Leila Areola, the Philippine Bureau of Learning Delivery (BLD)

explained (Department of Education Philippines, 2022).

In addition, Quimbo (2023) reported on the athletic participation, time management,

and academic performance of student-athletes. The study confirmed a positive relationship

 4

between athletic participation, time management, and academic performance among student-

athletes. The ABC Time Management Model was used to help athletes balance their

commitments. The study found high positive correlations between these variables, indicating

that effective time management can lead to higher academic success. The research aimed to

determine the impact of these factors on student-athletes. The study used Pearson's to

establish correlations and found that as athletic participation increases, effective time

management becomes crucial for balancing academic and extracurricular success.

Sports Specialization

Sport specialization is characterized by year-round training, selecting a main sport,

and/or giving up all other sports in order to focus on one primary sport (Myer et al., 2015).

According to Swindell et al. (2019), the definition of sports specialization is focused and

relates to the volume of training. Over the past two decades, it has become increasingly

common for athletes to focus on a single sport year-round. Youth athletes' sport

specialization, as defined, is one of the more controversial topics among ages 5–18 about

young athletics, and the advantages of sports specialization are well recognized while the

disadvantages fail to attract as much attention or discussion (Romanski & Strand, 2021).

According to Christino et al. (2021), increased athletic specialization may offer some

benefits for young people developing coping mechanisms, but compared to less specialized

athletes, these athletes can be more vulnerable to risk. Youth athletes are enamored with the

benefits of sport specialization but often fail to consider the risks involved. It is also known

that the effects of sports specialization can take a toll on the psychological and social well-

being of athletes, especially in their physical aspect. In their study, Campbell et al. (2021)

found that compared to non-specialized athletes, specialized student athletes typically

experienced much more injuries.

 5

In conclusion, there are numerous reasons, such as overuse injuries, inadequate overall

physical development, and psychological burnout in sports, to refrain from early sport

specialization. In their study, Holt et al. (2020), research indicates that participating in

multiple sports leads to "positive youth development that occurs, enhances life skills, and

develops potential." Many of the health benefits of playing multiple sports become

underappreciated as athletes start to prioritize specialization over a diverse sports

background. Burnout, chronic injury, and social isolation are major side effects of playing

multiple sports. Children should be encouraged to participate in a variety of sports "to best

attain the physical, psychological, and social benefits of sport" (LaPrade et al., 2016). Based

on their results, Warmath et al. (2022) suggest that clinicians should encourage a well-

rounded strategy that reduces the known negatives of sport specialization while encouraging

players to enjoy competition and improve their skills.

Academic Performance of Student-Athlete

Academic performance, according to Agustin (2022), refers to a student's achievement

of the program's goals, milestones, and objectives; it also relates to how students manage

their academics and finish tasks. This academic performance provides a clear and detailed

image of a student-athlete's ability and commitment to achieving their educational goals

(Nopiyanto, 2024). Numerous studies have examined the connection between student

athletes' participation in sports and their performance in school (Castagnola, 2023).

The responsibilities and pressure on student-athletes to achieve success in both sports and

academics are essential. (Anselmo, 2021). In recent years, student athletic interactions and

academic achievement have become more well-liked, and some people disagree, believing

that student-athletes' ability to perform well in academics is limited by their training and

practice commitments rather than studying independently. Sports enthusiasts claim that
 6

student-athletes gain "a sound mind and a sound body" through participation in sports

(Montecalbo-Ignacio, Ignacio, & Buot, 2017). Since athletes only have their education to fall

back on after sports and build their lives around it, many people also insist that the academic

performance of athletes is concerning, and they surely forget their studies during the long

hours of practice and preparation for game day. (Grimit, 2014).

Academics are emphasized, and student-athletes are expected to balance both their

athletic responsibilities and academic workload (Anselmo, 2021). Athletes need to balance

the academic requirements while competing in sports with the demands of being student

athletes; they must strike a balance between their commitments to sports and academics if

they intend to do well (Love, 2019). Students who participate in sports also usually have a lot

on their schedule, and there is a possibility that a student athlete's mental health has an impact

on their academic achievement (Castagnola, 2023). Gayles and Hu (2016) discovered many

issues, including low graduation rates, unhealthy behavior, difficulties in the classroom, and

graduating with poor academic standing, that are present in different schools where the

National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) handles. This proves that the rate of

academic achievement for student-athletes who study while participating in sports can be

significantly improved by providing a positive and healthy environment for participation.

Uyan (2017) found in the local setting that if school learning mainly focuses on

studying science and mathematics, the students are motivated to prioritize their studies while

participating in sports and their success in academics differs with the amount of time they

spend in sports. The study by Eroa (2023) shows that student athletes perform well

academically despite participating in athletics. These are the groups whose athletes'

perceptions of academic achievement, mental processes, and growing more patient and

rational looked to be improved by their engagement in sports.

 7

Reference: