Comparison of the Development of Character and Skills between Club and Varsity Athletes

Abstract

Students that wish to participate in organized intercollegiate sports programs in college face two options, club sports or varsity sports. Although both options allow for students to compete against students from other institutions, the structure and experiences of both programs is drastically different. This study aims to compare club athletes and varsity athletes on their perceptions of their coach's behaviors and the influence those behaviors have on sportsmanship development, and to identify the differences between the two sport types and the social development outcomes that are commonly associated with sports participation. The results of this study show that the assessed coaching behaviors were more predictive within varsity athletes than club athletes, and that club athletes rated wanting to develop a new skill and be physically active as more important in their participation than it was for varsity athletes.