Student-Athlete or Athlete-Student: Analysis of Benefits and Barriers of University Sport Participation in South Africa

Background. Universities are perceived as the hub for sports talent identification and development. This perception puts much pressure on student-athletes who are expected to excel in sport despite their academic commitments. Based on this expectation, students who participate in sports could be regarded as athlete-student, rather than student-athlete. Objectives. The study was carried out to investigate the perceptions of South African student-athletes about the benefits and challenges of participating in varsity sports. Methods. From an estimated study population of 1892, a sample of 203 (138 male and 65 female) student-athletes participating in athletics, football, netball, and rugby from four universities in Gauteng province of South Africa completed a self-report questionnaire on the benefits and barriers of sport participation. The overall reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.82, and the content validity of the instrument was established. Results. The student-athletes’ perceived benefits of varsity sports participation included enjoyment, to make their families proud, to make friendships, to complete their studies on record time, to receive performance-related incentives and awards, to be seen on television, and to be scouted by professional teams. Significant challenges faced by the student-athletes included match fixtures clashing with academic timetables, parents/guardians pressurizing them to excel academically, inadequate sporting equipment, fear of injury, and poor academic support needed to catch up with schoolwork. Conclusion. The current findings have practical implications for the promotion and management of varsity sports competitions in South African universities.