Using High School Football to Promote Life Skills and Student Engagement: Perspectives from Canadian Coaches and Students

摘要

In Canada, adolescent boys have been shown to have a higher high school dropout rate compared to girls. This situation\udis particularly evident in the country’s second largest province by population, Quebec. The sport of Canadian football\udhas recently gained in popularity in Quebec as many people believe that the sport can be used to promote both life skills\udand student engagement. The present study’s purpose was to document coaches’ and students’ perspectives on student\uddevelopment through participation in high school football. Nine coaches and 18 students were interviewed through\udindividual and focus group interviews and shared how they believe that students benefited personally and academically\udfrom playing high school football. Nevertheless, both coaches and students faced several challenges during the season\udthat influenced the benefits students gained from their participation in sport. Findings suggest that high school sport,\udand more specifically high school football, can facilitate the positive development of students. However, to effectively\udpromote student engagement, coaches must continually put in place strategies that help maintain students’ motivation\udtoward school.