Athlete and Non-Athlete Adjustment to College

Abstract

This study examined college adjustment between athletes and non-athletes at Manhattan College, a medium-sized college participating in NCAA Division I athletics located in the Bronx, New York. Groups included a total of fifty-two athletes, fifty-six non-athletes, twenty-five female athletes, twenty-seven male athletes, twenty-six female non-athletes, and thirty male non-athletes, totaling one hundred and eight students completing the College Adjustment Scale (CAS) and a demographic questionnaire. Results indicate when comparing athletes to non-athletes, significant differences emerged on the subscales of interpersonal problems (IP), suicidal ideation (SI), substance abuse (SA), and family problems (FP). This group of non-athletes had more challenges adjusting to college than their athlete peers. There were no significant differences when comparing other groups other than male athletes to male nonathletes. In this comparison, male non-athletes had significantly more challenges in adjusting to college indicated with a significance at the <.006 level with the substance abuse (SA) subscale and just missing significance with the suicidal ideation (SJ) subscale (. 008 ).