Professional Documents
Culture Documents
5-24-2018
Alan Munguia
Abstract
In the form of an autoethnography, the writer analyzes on a high school experience where he
played high school football and became a starting player for his excellent academic skills. The
Author explains why the high school experience is relatable to other student-athletes in other
schools. In some studies, it does show student-athletes academically improve much better than
the non-athlete students. Student-athletes have shown more significant improvements in grades
and their grade point average over their high school years. The answer if sports make students
Keywords
Acknowledgments
The writer would like to acknowledge Mr. Demers and Ms. Estrada for their advice on this topics
An Autoethnography
Alan Munguia
In the form of an autoethnography, the writer analyzes on a high school experience where he
played high school football and became a starting player for his excellent academic skills. The
Author explains why the high school experience is relatable to other student-athletes in other
schools. In some studies, it does show student-athletes academically improve much better than
the non-athlete students. Student-athletes have shown more significant improvements in grades
and their grade point average over their high school years. The answer if sports make students
better in the classroom will be answered. Keywords Autoethnography, High School, Student
The Incident
At the beginning of August 2014, it was my freshman year of high school. I was a
curious young kid just starting high school who wanted to try something new. I wanted to try a
sport but not just any sport but the best, life-changing sport in every high school sport
experience, which is football. Football is the sport that many want to join for popularity,
scholarships, and to gain strength and size. This was my plan, so I decided to go to summer
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tryouts to show my skills and make the team for my freshman year. When I made the football
team I was very delighted. I wasn’t sure because I had no experience. I remember calling my
older sister with an excited voice telling her I made the team and thanking her for pushing me to
try new activities. Then I put my game face towards education to keep my grades up and play my
It was my first game, my first experience on Friday Night Lights, I was nervous and
excited to play. The coach pulled me over to the side and told me “Son, I’m sorry to tell you, but
you are not gonna start this game.” I was shocked and angry but I had to respect his decision.
During the entire game I was mad: my mood changed from excited to angry in seconds, my fists
were clenched, and my eyebrows were at an angle. When the game ended, we won the game
24-6. I was still bummed that I didn’t get any playing time, but I still had my big grin to show
my teammates I’m glad we won the game. The whole bus ride home we were chanting from the
top of our lungs, “WHO ARE WE!!! WILSON!!!!” The coach was so excited about our first
game he took the whole team to a burger joint down the hill from Wilson called Troy's Burgers.
After the first game, I began to show my improvement on and off the field, but especially on the
field.
This is when my academic journey began; I moved from the back to the front to hear the
teachers better; the teachers reaction was shocked, Their facial expressions said: “What is he
doing? Does he want to learn?” From this time on my grades went from D’s and C’s to A’s and
B’s in the third week of school. I would go to the school library and work on my homework,
although when the loudest people in school were there I would go to a classroom and do my
work there. Since I would finish all my classwork and homework, all I had to worry about was
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football practice and home. When the five-week progress report cards where published, I was
able to maintain a 3.5 GPA, I was so relieved. The five-week report card is when the football
coach looks at grades and cuts players from the team. One day, on the loudspeaker I heard “Alan
Munguia please report to Coach Martinez’s office, Alan Munguia please report to Coach
Martinez’s office.” My heart dropped from my chest to my toes, but in my head, I was thinking:
“I have a 3.5 GPA what could go wrong.” When I got there my heart was beating faster and
faster, I opened his door, inside to my left was a box full of my old teammate's helmets and
shoulder pads, to my right was Coach Martinez, Coach Derek, and Coach Willie. I sat in front of
them, sweat dripping down my face and a weird feeling in my stomach. They tell me great news
“Son we see your improvement in your academic skills and want to give you the great news that
you are officially starting for the football team.” When I heard those special words I was filled
with excitement and glory, I was starting as a middle linebacker for our next game vs. the
Lincoln Tigers; I was mentally and physically prepared. It was my big day, another Friday Night
Lights, I was pumped for this game not just because Lincoln High School was our rivals but
because I got to start. Once I made my way to the football field I was waiting for the kick off, its
Lincoln's ball, were on defense it was my time to shine. On the first play, I tackled a player and
forced him to fumble the ball again, again, and again. It was a close game, but unfortunately, we
lost 24-28, but that didn’t change my mind. From that day on I started every single game and my
grades stayed the same until an incident but that's another story.
Analysis
Introduction
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When sports make better students in the classroom they would look like Tampa Bay
Buccaneers Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Ryan is ranked number 1 as the smartest player in the
NFL, his academic Skills were off the charts at Harvard University, his SAT score were 1580
and he also earned 48 outta 50 questions right on the Wonderlic test (Johnson, 2011). Ryan
Fitzpatrick shows an example of being better in the classroom because of sports. When I replay
that memory in my head all I remember is the coach calling my name over the loudspeaker I still
think up to this day if I’m in trouble, am I out of the team a lot of illusions went through my
head. From that time I experienced my high school sport it made me think if other students in
other schools around the world were also academically skilled because of sports.
Study of Focus
This research paper’s focus is to find out if high school students-athletes tend to be
academically active in the classroom. The effects observed in this study show that some student
athletes are more active on the field than in the classroom. The researcher was able to figure out
that student athletes are also active in the classroom and earning high GPAs. From examining
student-athletes’ having slightly lower grades, average GPAs, and disciplinary referrals, it is
clear that high school athletes are more academically active in class and have slightly lower
In the article titled, “An Examination of the Role That Intercollegiate Athletic
Maloney and Robert E. McCormick (1993) discuss how athletes in high school do better in the
classroom but have lower grades. Even though the athletes’ grades are lower than the overall
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student body’s grades, they still manage to maintain good grades to play. Additionally, the article
states “For instance, athletes may major in harder or easier curricular than the average student”
(Maloney & McCormick, 1993, p. 558). This quote states that athletes major in more challenging
classes than the average student which shows that athletes demonstrate more bravery in rigorous
classes.
In the same article “An Examination of the Role That Intercollegiate Athletic
Participation Plays in Academic Achievement: Athletes' Feats in the Classroom” there is more
evidence that student athletes have slightly lower grades. The authors continues “Here we see
that athletes, as a class, do not grade as well as the overall student body” (Maloney &
McCormick, 1993, p. 557). Student athletes are having slightly lower grades but there academic
Also in the “An Examination of the Role That Intercollegiate Athletic Participation Plays
having trouble getting close to the same percent as the overall student body. Student athletes tend
to only have the correct GPA to play but they don’t have a lot of academic skills in the
classroom.
From further examining, “An Examination of the Role That Intercollegiate Athletic
Participation Plays in Academic Achievement: Athletes' Feats in the Classroom” high school
athletes need to have better grades to be show how good they are in the classroom and to be
eligible to play. In this quote, “When a student does poorly in one class during a term, there is
the chance that grades in other classes are affected” (Maloney & McCormick, 1993, p. 562). It
talks about how if a student athlete does poorly or fails on class he/she will have a chance in
doing poorly or fail in the rest of their classes. High school athletes can’t be failing any class
because the result will lead to being kicked of the team or not be eligible to play until they pick
up their grades. This shows how high school athletes can not be able to have really high grades
In the journal by S. Alan Silliker and Jeffrey T. Quirk discuss how males and females
have a better GPA during their sport season than while they are not in the sport season. In the
Male and Female High School Students” by S. Alan Silliker and Jeffrey T. Quirk (1997). From
the journal “GPAs were better during the wrestling season than when these athletes were not
participating in the sport” (Silliker & Quirk, 1997, pg. 289). This quote states student athletes
GPAs only participate during the season, not when the season ended their GPAs where not that
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good. This means student athletes have a goal to complete. This goal is to have a great GPA
Male and Female High School Students” more evidence of student athletes having good
academics. A quote from the journal “GPAs were recorded as numerical values 9100-point scale)
with high scores indicating academic excellence” (Silliker & Quirk, 1997, pg. 290). This quote
states that student athletes gain higher scores to show their academic excellence.. Student
athletes need to have good GPAs and academic excellence to show people they could multitask.
Student athletes also need academic excellence for school so they could keep their GPA high to
Performance of Male and Female High School Students” shows a graph of how the numbers of
GPAs are on the season than off the season. A quote from the article, “The data in table 1 show
that participants had significantly higher GPAs in-season than out-of-season” (Silliker & Quirk,
1997, pg. 290). This quote states that athletes in season in total had a 86.3 GPA and when they
were out of season they had a GPA of 85.7. This means that student athletes do a lot better in
school during the season of the sport is on but do bad when the season of the sport is off. Student
athletes need to know is their GPAs are important to colleges, if student athletes lower their
grades colleges might not want to sign the player because of the grades.
Performance of Male and Female High School Students” shows how female athletes are higher
achievers than the male athletes. Here's a quote from the journal “The girls earned higher GPAs
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and attendance figures than did the boys, but the boys had a significant difference for GPA
in-season versus out-of-season.” (Silliker & Quirk, 1997, pg. 290). This quote states that girls
have higher GPAs than boys which means that girls have more focus in class than the boys do.
Every student athlete need to focus in class, class is what helps you learn and teaches you about
new materials you didn’t know. Even if the girls are smarter than the boys, the boys still have the
talent for the sport like the girls do but everything they do comes from the classroom.
In this article by Roger L. Whitley he discusses how athletes were able to have less
disciplinary referrals than students that weren’t in a sport. In the journal “ Those ‘Dumb Jocks”
North Carolina High Schools From 1993 through 1996” by Roger L. Whitleythere. Here is
another quote from the journal “The analyses of the data showed that the athletes had a higher
mean grade point average (GPA), a much better mean attendance rate, a lower discipline referral
percentage, a lower drop out rate, and a higher graduation rate than the nonathletes” (Whitley,
199, pg. 223). This quote states that the student athletes are having less disciplinary results than
the non-athletes because of sports. Sports make the student athletes stay out of trouble because
In the same article “Those ‘Dumb Jocks’ Are at It Again: A Comparison of the
Educational Performances Of athletes and Nonathletes in North Carolina High Schools From
1993 through 1996” there is more evidence that student athletes have less disciplinary referrals.
Here is another quote from the article “For the schools who recorded their discipline referrals on
SIMS in this study, a significantly smaller percentage of athletes got in trouble than the
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nonathletes” (Whitley, 199, pg. 226). This quote states high schools records prove that high
school athletes stay out of trouble than the non-athletes. Student athletes don’t get in trouble
because they know the rules of the school and of the sport, they know if they get in really bad
trouble they will have to face the consequences. In this case student athletes are more focused in
school and in the sport to get in trouble and loose everything they worked hard for.
Also in the journal “Those ‘Dumb Jocks’ Are at It Again: A Comparison of the
Educational Performances Of athletes and Nonathletes in North Carolina High Schools From
1993 through 1996” student athletes referral rate is lower than the non-athletes. A quote from the
journal “The mean average referral rate for the athlete group was 30.51% as compared to the
mean average referral rate of 40.29% for the nonathlete group” (Whitley, 1999, pg. 226). This
quote states that the referral rate for athletes is 30.51% while for the non-athletes it is higher as
40.29% which means that students athletes referral rate is 10% lower than the non-athletes.
Student athletes have no use because sports teach players discipline and how to be leaders to the
younger classmen. That’s what sports do they show the students how to be mature and show
In the journal “Those ‘Dumb Jocks’ Are at It Again: A Comparison of the Educational
Performances Of athletes and Nonathletes in North Carolina High Schools From 1993 through
1996” has more evidence of athletes staying out of trouble. Here is a quote from the journal
“However, the increase in the mean percentage for the athletes was only 2.85% where the
increase in the mean percentage for the non-athletes was 4.94%” (Whitley, 199, pg. 226). This
quote states even though some of the athletes do get disciplinary referrals but it isn’t as bad as
the non-athletes. The non-athletes get more disciplinary referrals because they haven’t been
Munguia 11
shown discipline so they get in trouble for fun but on the other hand the athletes do have
something to do and play the game to release anytype of anger they have. Student athletes learn
how to be good influencers for the new student athletes that come on to join the team. So they
don’t get a lot of referrals because they have no use for it.
Opinion:
It is clear hat high school athletes are more academically active in class and have slightly lower
grades than the non-athletic students.. In his opinion student athletes are more capable of doing
better in the classroom because sports keep them focused. Sports keep them focused because
high school sports are made to make student athletes more academically useful in the classroom.
When a student athlete plays a sport they are commiting to have a good GPA to be eligible to
play which is a 2.0. The coaches make them sign a contract stating the they need to have a 2.0
GPA or higher to be on the team and if the students don’t the student athletes get kicked off the
team.
Even though student athletes are gaining lower grades than the overall student body the
athletes are still showing academic success in the classroom. Becoming a student athlete if they
can keep their grades up to play for the team it comes with a great reward. If student athletes
have good grades and good GPAs not only will they play on the team they will also get a reward
perhaps of having more playing time or even becoming a starter. The schools will also gain a lot
of attention from those students athletes because of their excellence in the classroom and of their
grades. Playing in a high school sports gives them a chance to go to college with a scholarship
and they show them how to respect one another and teaches them discipline.
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When student athletes take a part in the sport the coach shows them how to follow rules
and if they a break a rule the coach gives them a lot of conditioning. When that happens coaches
are setting up an example, that if they break rules or just don’t show the commitment they are
trying to make the students more mature and respectful to everything. Student athletes also show
a example to to the younger students on how to be academically active and how to stay out of
trouble. Also student athletes are taught how to stay out of trouble because they are in a
organization which they don’t want to lose from the consequences of getting in trouble. When
athletes join a sport they don’t know what goes on until the head coach gives them that long
speech of what they are getting themselves into and what being a part of a team is like.
That comes to his opinion that student athletes are better in the classroom if they join a
sport. Sports in high school controls the mind in every teenagers life because they want to try
new activities and sports is off the action they try but they need to show how capable they are in
the classroom. Student athletes are capable of doing better in a classroom because they gain high
GPAs, good reputation and they also earn the knowledge of how to be a good student and not get
in trouble.
Conclusion
Throughout the research the writer come across a lot of information but it finally comes
to end, from having read a certain amount of journals the writer was able to confirm that student
athletes are capable to do better in the classroom. People think that sports make athletes not
academically perfect and it's a waste of time. After asking his question he was able to know if
student athletes are better because from experience in his football days he never knew other
studies would say that student athletes are more academically involved in the classroom. He
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always thought that some students athletes in sports are capable to have good GPAs, good
grades, and less disciplinary referrals but mostly all student athletes all over the world are
capable to. Student athletes have shown to be academically active in the classroom.
When he played football his sister always told him that if he want to be in the team and
play he has to have good grades if not it won’t work out. That’s exactly what he did, the writer
was able to show the coaches that he had really good academic skills. In other schools high
school athletes can show that sports make them academically active because every grade counts
if they want to play. In many high schools they have a sport that a student wants to join in but
they have to show the coaches that they are responsible and can maintain a high GPA and have
respect and not get in trouble. Student athletes are known for their excellence in academics and
In high school, student athletes have great talent on the field and that's great to use on the
field but if the students don’t have good academic skills then they will let the whole team down
by losing all that good talent. That’s why students with good talent are always the ones with the
high academic skills because they don’t want to be let go from the team. If the student has good
grades then he’ll set an example to the other teammates that they should also have good grades
so they could have more playing time. Sports is also creates a family because once someone
joins a teams it makes a big bond and creates a family so if one player has success then the others
will have success too. Sports have a tendency to make students better not for themselves but for
others.
Student athletes are better in a classroom because sports really change them, they show
them how to be a good sport. Sports have been a big impact in high school students lives they
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give them a good experience how to be a good sport with other people. Athletes can have good
grades and a good GPA and it will have colleges interested, they will give them scholarships to
go to their college. Student athletes have also have a good reputation with the teachers on how
good they are in academics. High School student athletes are really good in the classroom,
students prove that they are not good in the classroom but they prove that they can get really
References
Maloney, M. T., & McCormick, E. R.(1993, July 01). “An Examination of the Role That
Whitley, R. L. (1999, April 01). Those 'Dumb Jocks' Are at It Again: A Comparison of the
Silliker, S., & Quirk, J. (1997). “The Effect of Extracurricular Activity Participation on the
Academic Performance of Male and Female High School Students”. The School
Johnson, C. (2017, April 12). The NFL's 10 Smartest Players. Retrieved from
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/949563-the-nfls-10-smartest-players#slide10