Wolde, Bezabih (PhD)Tsige, Shewangzaw2018-07-062023-11-042018-07-062023-11-042016-09http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/6895The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between sport participation and academic performance of preparatory school students. Sports and academic performance of students has been a topic of study for years. On the one hand, supporters of sports program in educational institutions say that participation in sports improves students’ grades, academic achievement, raises their educational aspirations, and keep them in schools. On the other hand, others say that participation in sports distract time away from the classroom and divert students’ attention from study. It is not possible for students to achieve excellence in sports as well as in education. The study was conducted in two Government and two private preparatory schools of Adama Town, Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia. An interview question and a structured questionnaire on five point Likert scale were developed and utilized for collection of data. 10 education officials, coaches, sport teachers and 204 students were selected through purposive and random sampling techniques respectively. The data derived from these likert scales were evaluated using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) 19.0 software through descriptive statistics (Mean), independent samples t-test (p<0.05) and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (p<0.01). The result of the study revealed that there is association between participation in sports and performance in education and participation in sports improves the Class Marks (Scores), ability of students to succeed academically, and mental or cognitive development. This study also confirmed that Sports activities are very useful and helpful for enhancing students’ capability to learning and development. Both teachers and sport coaches should consider ways to best foster sport capacity among students. Keywords: Preparatory school students, sports’ participation, academic achievementenPreparatory School StudentsSportsParticipationAcademic AchievementThesis