Статья исследует, как участие в спортивных мероприятиях и занятия профессиональным спортом влияют на уровень мотивации студентов к учебе, их академическую успеваемость и общую удовлетворенность учебным процессом.
Анализируются факторы, такие как уровень физической активности, участие в командных и индивидуальных видах спорта, и их влияние на обучение, исследование показывает, что спорт может стимулировать учебную мотивацию, увеличивать концентрацию и помогать студентам лучше справляться со стрессом. Однако также обсуждаются и возможные негативные стороны, такие как перегрузка и недостаток времени для учебы из-за интенсивных тренировок
Ключевые слова: мотивация, студенты, обучение, профессиональный спорт, успеваемость, виды спорта.
Currently, many students engage in professional sports while not forgetting about their academic responsibilities. However, the question arises as to how professional sports influence students' motivation and academic performance. Every year, there is an increasing emphasis on the importance of physical activity and sports as a means of maintaining health, improving quality of life, and fostering personal development. Examining this issue helps to understand how professional sports can affect students' academic outcomes.
Professional sports can undoubtedly have a significant impact on the quality of students' academic performance. They can stimulate the development of self-discipline, goal-orientation, perseverance, and diligence — skills that are useful not only in sports but also in academics. On the other hand, the high demands and workloads associated with sports can distract from studies and worsen academic performance.
However, it is necessary to understand that each student is individual, and their ability to balance sports and academics can vary significantly. Some students find it easy to find time and energy for both sports and studies, while others may struggle to maintain this balance.
A lack of time for studying can lead to a decline in motivation and academic performance. Students who constantly feel a shortage of time due to sports may begin to fall behind in their studies, which can ultimately affect their academic performance, serving as a catalyst for stress and fatigue — both of which negatively impact a student's ability to absorb material. Therefore, it is important for students to be aware of their individual characteristics and to be able to find a balance between sports and academics. This may include time planning, setting priorities, making effective use of free time, and seeking help from teachers or coaches.
Thus, the balance between sports and academics is a key element of a student's healthy lifestyle. Understanding one's own needs and abilities, as well as being able to properly allocate time and energy between sports and studies, will help students achieve success in both academics and sports.
According to M. V. Antropov, the effectiveness of training and sports performance immediately after prolonged and intense mental activity is significantly reduced. In turn, physical loads that are inadequate to the body's functional capabilities may temporarily reduce brain performance — a factor that must be considered in the training schedules of students and knowledge workers in general. At the same time, short-term physical loads of maximum intensity increase attention and memory, which peak 2–2.5 hours after physical exertion and then gradually return to baseline levels (G. D. Gorbunov, 1965). As shown by studies by I. Y. Petrushevsky (1963), systematic physical training significantly improves mental performance both under normal conditions (without additional physical loads) and under conditions of physical exertion [1].
A. A. Ionov, in his work, points out that from the perspective of physiological processes, motor activity plays an important role in creating favorable conditions for human mental activity. It acts as a means of relieving negative emotional impacts and mental fatigue, and therefore as a factor stimulating intellectual activity. As a result of physical exercise, cerebral blood flow improves, and mental processes responsible for perceiving, processing, and reproducing information are activated. For instance, numerous data indicate that physical exercise increases memory capacity, enhances attention stability, accelerates the solving of elementary intellectual tasks, and speeds up visual-motor reactions [3].
Overall, the research of these authors shows that participation in sports events and professional sports activities can stimulate academic motivation, increase concentration, and help students better cope with stress. However, it is necessary to consider possible negative aspects, such as overload and lack of time for studying due to intense training.
In order to study the motivation of professional athletes toward learning, a study was conducted in which university students were given a questionnaire survey aimed at identifying the influence of professional sports on students' motivation and learning ability, with the goal of determining possible strategies for improving academic performance and motivation among student-athletes.
To achieve this goal, the following tasks were set:
— to determine the level of motivation for learning among professional athletes;
— to identify how professional sports affect students' academic performance and motivation;
— to investigate how professional sports influence the distribution of time and effort between studies and sports training/competitions;
— to study the impact of sports achievements or completed training sessions on the level of motivation and effort students put into their academic activities.
Thus, the general population of this sociological study consists of 1st–4th year students studying at the university.
The gender ratio of the survey respondents (Fig. 1) was 39 % female to 61 % male.
Fig. 1. Distribution of respondents by gender
The largest number of respondents belongs to the age group of 17 to 20 years (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Distribution of respondents by age
It can also be noted that the majority of students are studying in the bachelor's degree program — 59.3 % (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3. Distribution of respondents by form of study
Research results:
To address the research objectives, a questionnaire consisting of 11 questions was developed.
To the question: «How often do you attend training sessions?" The largest number of respondents (32 %) answered that they attend training sessions 1–2 times a week. 30.5 % of respondents said that they attend training sessions 4 times a week. The remaining respondents were evenly split — 20.3 % (attend training sessions 6 times a week and 3 times a week) (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4. Distribution of respondents by weekly training attendance
To the second question: «How often do you attend classes?" the majority (47.5 %) of respondents answered that they do not miss classes. 33.9 % miss 1–2 classes per week, 13.6 % miss more than 5 classes per week, and 5 % do not attend classes at all (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5. Distribution of respondents by weekly class attendance
Based on figures 1.4 and 1.5, it can be concluded that the majority of respondents attend training sessions 1–4 times per week, with the largest number of respondents attending training 1–2 times per week. However, when it comes to class attendance, the majority of respondents do not miss classes, which may indicate a higher level of motivation and responsibility regarding academic performance. Overall, respondents engage in sports quite regularly but have different approaches to attending training sessions and classes.
The next question was aimed at assessing the influence of professional sports on academic motivation. The majority of respondents (61.5 %) answered that playing sports motivates them to set goals and achieve them both in sports and in academics. 47.7 % answered that they plan their schedule in such a way as to devote enough time to both studies and training. The remaining respondents were split evenly — 36.6 % chose the answer options «Yes, professional sports can help me develop leadership skills, learn to work in a team, and develop perseverance — all of which can be useful in my future career» and «Sometimes fatigue can affect my concentration and study efficiency, but I try to rest and exercise regularly to maintain balance». 10 % answered that coaches and the team always support them in their studies and understand that this is also important for a sports career.
From the above, it can be concluded that the majority of respondents believe that playing sports motivates them to set goals and achieve them both in sports and in academics. They also plan their schedule to devote enough time to both studies and training. Some respondents see professional sports as an opportunity to develop leadership skills, learn to work in a team, and develop perseverance, which can be useful in their future career. It is also noted that coaches and the team provide support in academic matters and understand their importance for a sports career. Overall, it can be said that professional sports have a positive impact on academic motivation and personal development (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6. Distribution of respondents by the influence of professional sports on academic motivation
The fourth and fifth questions were aimed at determining what sports the respondents engage in and what ranks they hold. The most popular sports among students are volleyball (27.3 %), swimming (20 %), and basketball (17.2 %). The majority of students hold the 2nd adult rank (25 %) and the rank of Candidate master of sports (25 %) (Fig. 7 and 8).
Fig. 7. Distribution of respondents by type of sport
Fig. 8. Distribution of respondents by sports ranks
To the question: «Does fatigue from training affect your academic performance?" the following results were obtained: 39 % of respondents believe that fatigue from training does not affect academic performance; 32.2 % of respondents answered that sometimes fatigue from training affects academic performance; 13.6 % believe that fatigue from training can have both positive and negative effects on academic performance; the remaining respondents were split evenly — 6.8 % answered «I do not notice any connection between fatigue from training and my academic performance» and «Yes, fatigue from training has a negative impact on my academic performance». Based on this, it can be concluded that the majority of respondents believe that fatigue from training does not affect their academic performance, while some believe that it can sometimes have both positive and negative effects. A small portion of respondents notice a negative impact of fatigue from training on academic performance (Fig. 9).
Fig. 9. Distribution of respondents by the influence of training fatigue on academic performance
In conclusion, the results of this study highlight the importance of considering students' individual characteristics when assessing the impact of sports activities on their academic performance. The balance between sports and academics plays a key role in achieving success both in studies and in sports. Further research in this area may help develop personalized recommendations for students to make it easier for them to combine sports and academics. It is also important to pay attention to how training fatigue can affect students' academic performance in order to help them effectively manage their time and energy. Overall, understanding the relationship between sports participation and students' academic performance can help create more suitable conditions for achieving a balance between physical activity and academics.
References:
- Abramova S. B. Osobennosti polucheniya vysshego obrazovaniya sportsmenami vysokogo klassa [Characteristics of higher education obtainment by elite athletes] [Electronic resource] // 2019. — URL: https://elar.urfu.ru/bitstream/10995/59158/1/978–5-91256–403–1_2018_085.pdf (accessed: 27.04.2026).
- Sautkin M. F. Sport i akademicheskaya uspevaemost studentov [Sport and academic performance of students] [Electronic resource] // 2016. — URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/sport-i-akademicheskaya-uspevaemost-studentov/viewer (accessed: 27.04.2026).
- Chelnokova E. A. Vliyanie dvigatelnoy aktivnosti, zanyatiy fizicheskoy kulturoy ili sportom na umstvennuyu deyatelnost studenta i ego uspevaemost [The influence of motor activity, physical culture or sports on students' mental activity and their academic performance] [Electronic resource] // 2019. — URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/vliyanie-dvigatelnoy-aktivnosti-zanyatiy-fizicheskoy-kulturoy-ili-sportom-na-umstvennuyu-deyatelnost-studenta-i-ego-uspevaemost (accessed: 27.04.2026).
