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VOL. 13, ISSUE 1 (2026)
The Sports Participation Ecosystem as an evidence-informed framework for holistic student development
Authors
Nirmala Chandrasekaran, Anahitaa Bhimanand
Abstract
Sports participation
is frequently promoted as beneficial for students. However, its impact is often
described in terms, such as physical fitness, teamwork, or stress relief,
without a unifying framework. This paper proposes the Sports Participation Ecosystem
(SPE) as an original conceptual model to explain how skills developed through
sports participation function as an interconnected system influencing multiple
domains of student development. The SPE framework positions transferable skills
acquired through sports (discipline, resilience, teamwork, and goal-setting),
as a foundational core that radiates into four key domains: academic
functioning, social development, self-management, and intrapersonal well-being.
To strengthen the explanatory value of the framework, this paper integrates
evidence from research and reviews, on youth and student sports participation.
The analysis demonstrates that sports participation contributes to cognitive
functioning, decision-making, emotional regulation, social competence, and
mental health, while also highlighting potential risks such as injury,
overtraining, and early specialization. By integrating the SPE framework with
literature, this paper positions sports participation as an ecosystem for
holistic student development rather than a standalone extracurricular activity.
The framework has implications for educators, and institutions, to integrate
sports more effectively into educational environments.
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Pages:157-160
How to cite this article:
Nirmala Chandrasekaran, Anahitaa Bhimanand "The Sports Participation Ecosystem as an evidence-informed framework for holistic student development". International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, Vol 13, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 157-160
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