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Description

The purpose of this proposal is to outline my vision of my capstone project focused on the transition of high school athletes to their first year of collegiate sports while maintaining occupational balance. The average high school student who is beginning their transition into their first year of college can find this journey to be difficult and come with a lot of new responsibilities. There are changes within their current roles, routines, and habits that affect their ability to be successful within the first year of college, which can result in not returning to the college or university the second year (Van Rooij et al., 2017). First-year college athletes experience occupational imbalance during their transition from high school sports to college sports. This imbalance can result in collegiate athletes prioritizing their athletic participation rather than their responsibilities for their academics (Dos Santos et al., 2020).

The second phase of the capstone project includes the creation of the occupational-based program. Within this 5-module program, students met during their scheduled times for their Individual Graduation Plans (IGP) that were conducted with their assigned counselor or with their scheduled meeting with other stakeholders, such as a college advisor. Module 1 included a fact sheet about occupational therapy (OT) to ensure that the participants understand OT's scope of practice and role within the high school population. Module 2 included resources on how to manage social and emotional stress. Module 3 included time management and scheduling skills and resources. Module 4 included college preparation resources and skills that were needed, and Module 5 included extracurricular activities and clubs that students can participate in to prepare for certain majors in college.

The data was collected and gathered through a series of informal surveys and interviews of Chester High School (CHS) students, staff, and the surrounding community. The findings of the results show the need for and importance of occupational therapy to provide a more organized, structured, holistic approach for student-athletes during their transition from high school to college and achieving occupational balance and harmony during this transition. The results from the needs assessments were analyzed and assisted with creating the 5 modules for this program, which included a fact sheet about OT, resources to manage social and emotional stress, time management and scheduling skills, college preparation resources and tips, and lastly, extracurricular activities and clubs. This project emphasizes the focus on providing an occupational-based program to assist the transition of high school athletes to their first year of collegiate sports while maintaining occupational balance.

Publication Date

Spring 4-21-2025

Publisher

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

Keywords

Student-Athlete, Occupational balance, Program development

Medical Subject Headings

Athletes, Students, Universities, Time management, Occupational therapy, Sports

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Comments

Poster presented at the OTD Symposium, held at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences April 21st, 2025.

Promoting Occupational Balance for High School Student-Athletes Transitioning to College

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