A season long investigation of social emotional learning associated with high school basketball participation

This qualitative, longitudinal investigation had three purposes: (1) to investigate social emotional learning (SEL) outcomes athletes reported from participating in high school basketball; (2) to identify critical incidents that occurred over the course of a season that were associated with SEL outcomes; and, (3) to explore the processes identified as leading to the athletes' SEL outcomes. High school varsity basketball players (four males, five females) were interviewed five times over the course of their season. Content analysis revealed that major categories of SEL outcomes identified included: psychological dispositions (e.g., accountability, discipline); psychological skills (e.g., emotional regulation, time management); and interpersonal competencies (e.g., communication, friendship). Student-athletes reported several critical incidences (competitive outcomes, shifting team responsibilities, team conflict, and emotional regulation events) and these were directly related to SEL outcomes. Student-athletes reported learning SEL outcomes from both the totality of their sport experience and from specific critical incidents such as winning and losing big games or handling team conflict. Results are discussed in light of the social emotional learning literature in education and Larson and Brown's propositions regarding how youth learn via extracurricular activity participation. Lay summary: This study tracked high school basketball players SEL outcomes across a season and identified critical incidences associated with those outcomes. Evidence is provided for the value of scholastic sports in promoting positive youth development and how athletes on their own experience SEL outcomes in programs where these outcomes are not explicitly taught. Hot emotional issues were also identified as an important source of SEL.