Beyond the scoreboard: school-based sport experiences and high school student-athlete well-being

With an estimated seven million high school student-athletes in the United States participating in school-based sports each year, opportunities exist to examine how recent changes in education and sport are affecting this generation of student-athletes. The COVID-19 pandemic, school cancelations, and emergent trends related to recruiting, name, image, and likeness policies, sport specialization, academic pressures, and adolescent mental health concerns are current factors influencing school-based sports. To examine associations between the United States education and sport environment and student-athlete well-being, this qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of high school student-athletes in this era of sport. Seven focus groups were conducted with 50 high school student-athletes in diverse school districts in one large Midwestern state. Emergent themes indicated structural, contextual, and psychosocial factors are shaping student-athlete experiences and affecting multiple domains of their well-being. Notably, student-athletes overwhelmingly wanted to perform at high levels as they returned to school and sport as COVID-19 restrictions were lifting, yet felt they were struggling to meet these demands. Findings contribute to an important conversation about the needs of high school student-athletes in the United States and can inform future interventions, coach training programs, and school policies.