Self-regulation in sport and education. Important for sport expertise and academic achievement for elite youth athletes

PhD ceremony: Ms. L. Jonker, 12.45 uur, Aula Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Self-regulation in sport and education. Important for sport expertise and academic achievement for elite youth athletes

Promotor(s): prof. C. Visscher

Faculty: Medical Sciences

Elite youth athletes need to put large efforts in sports and academia simultaneously. Using self-regulatory skills (SR) seems valuable as it may help them to optimally structure their educational environment. The aims of this thesis were to investigate 1) the relationship between sport and academic performances, 2) the value of SR in this relationship, and 3) how SR assessment may predict senior international status potential in sports. SR is defined as the extent to which individuals are metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally proactive participants in their learning process and consists of several skills such as self-reflection. Data were collected from approximately 3000 participants (12-18 years) who were classified according to their competitive level (elite youth athletes, regional athletes, non-athletes) and academic level (pre-university, pre-vocational). Participants were tested with the SRL-SRS. The results show that elite youth athletes are academic high achievers who more frequent use SR skills than regional athletes and non-athletes do, regardless of their academic level. Furthermore, training a substantial number of hours per week is generally beneficial for the development of SR in youth. From a talent developmental perspective, self-reflection is considered a key factor in the development of sport expertise and has predictive value for those with the best chances of reaching the top. Trainers and teachers are recommended to guide their pupils to develop and use SR.