Sport specialism in schools contributing to culture: supporting student-athletes to become better people

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to consider the role of sport specialisms in contributing to local and community culture, and in supporting student-athletes to become ‘better people’. Research questions focused on why schools are adopting sport specialism and whether community organisations value the sport specialism. The study was phenomenological and qualitative in nature, whereby six school leaders were asked to share their experiences of sport specialism via in-depth, extended and face-to-face interviews with the researchers. Results generated the following themes: intended outcomes, student engagement, sport specialism and the local community. Conclusions highlighted that schools with sport specialism often feel the need to compete in an educational marketplace and sport specialism can have positive outcomes for young people and their communities. Findings may contribute to schools, school leaders and teachers considering the importance of positive relationships developed with the local community. The creation of an athlete-friendly culture and the focus of sport specialisms in schools to assisting young athletes to become better people were also identified as outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Sport specialism
• student-athlete
• athlete culture
• community

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Erin Walklate

Erin Walklate is the Learning Specialist, in the curriculum area of Health and Physical Education at Maribyrnong College, and Maribyrnong Sports Academy in Melbourne, Australia. She is a Health and Physical Education Teacher, and High-Performance Program Teacher working with student-athletes. Erin is an Australian Olympian, (Badminton, Beijing 2008), and a member of the Australian Commonwealth Games Team, (Badminton, Melbourne 2006).

Anthony Watt

Anthony Watt is a Professor of Physical education at the Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. The completion of his PhD occurred in 2002, and Graduate studies in psychology were finalised in 2004. Dr Watt has spent 40 years in education, as a high school physical education teacher and as an academic. Leadership roles undertaken include Director of Learning and Teaching and Deputy Dean of the College of Arts and Education. He has been a member of the International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education, the International Society for Sport Psychology, and is a board member of the Victoria branch of the Australian Council of Health Physical Education and Recreation. He was awarded the doctoral prize from this organisation in 2003.