The role of participation in school-sponsored sports in assisting high school transfer students to gain a sense of belonging

This qualitative case study investigated the perceptions of high school transfer students, their coaches, and parents in the students' pursuit of a sense of belonging or social inclusion at their new school. An additional query involved examining the role of participation in school-sponsored extracurricular activities, more specifically sports in the process of fitting in. This study was conducted by interviewing students, coaches, and surveying parents. Focus groups and student polling were also employed as data collection tools. The data furnished by the respondents were analyzed to determine the role of participation in sports in the process of gaining a sense of belonging. It was discovered that transfer students found it challenging to relocate to a new school and also to gain a sense of belonging. However, the majority felt they had a sense of inclusion in their new school early in the first semester mostly due to their participation in school-sponsored sports. Furthermore, a few students gained a sense of belonging not through sports but involvement in school-sponsored extracurricular programs. All students acknowledged the benefit of participating in school-sponsored sports and most would choose to be involved again as a means of social inclusion should they transfer to a new school. Recommendations were made for future studies as a means to assist educators in understanding the high school transfer student's need to gain a sense of belonging and the role participation in school-sponsored sports may play in that process.