The Effect of Sport-Scheduling Type on Social and Adaptive Functioning in High School Girls

The Purpose of this study was to examine the “Over-Scheduling Hypothesis” in the sport context and determine the effect of sport-scheduling type on social and adaptive functioning in high school girls. In this descriptive-ex post facto research, 270 girl students (110 non-athletes, 97 recreational athletes, and 63 amateur athletes), completed the validated version of Child and Adolescent Social and Adaptive Functioning Scale and resulted data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance and related follow-up tests at 95 percent confidence level. Based on the findings, the type of sport scheduling had a significant effect on academic performance, peer relationships, and home duties/self-care, but its effect on family relationships was not statistically significant. Follow up analysis showed that academic performance in amateur group is lower than recreational and non-athlete groups, but peer relationships in amateur group is higher than recreational and non-athlete groups and also peer relationships in recreational group is higher than non-athlete group. Home duties/self-care level in amateur group was higher than non-athlete group and all differences in other comparisons were not statistically significant. The results suggest that shifting participation from recreational to competitive sport, has positive effect on quality of social (peer relationships) and adaptive (home duties/self-care) functioning, but it may cause to an academic slump. The Findings support the over-scheduling hypothesis in terms of negative effect of increase in organized activities.