ABSTRACT
Sport participation and spectatorship in South Africa have experienced a phenomenal growth over the past two decades. University students, who are the heart and soul of any university, have consequently recognised sport as a possible career path. Success in sport is dependent on the amount of time dedicated to training, and the skills acquired and developed during training. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of training time and skills development on student-athlete success and level of competition. A quantitative research approach was used to collect data over a three-week period from a convenient sample of 289 university student-athletes who participated competitively under the auspices of University Sport South Africa (USSA). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, internal-consistency reliability, correlation analysis and cross-tabulations. The findings indicate a significant positive relationship between athletic skills gained during training and success, and athletic skills gained during training and hours of training. However, no significant relationship was found between hours of training and level of competition, and hours of training and success. Most student-athletes perceived that their athletic skills improved only slightly if they trained less than five hours per week. However, great improvement was experienced if they trained more than five hours per week. Given that sport at most universities has become commercialised and receives huge sponsorships that attract high calibre student-athletes, it is important for universities to create a conducive environment for student-athletes to be able to achieve both academic as well as athletic success. Student-athlete success has serious implications for the reputation and image of universities. It influences the institutions ability to attract financial resources such as sponsorships as well as high-performing student-athletes.
KEYWORDS
Student-athlete, Training, Skills Development, Season Success, Competitive Level