In the United States of America, approximately 55% of students participate in extracurricular sports activities. (Koebler, Jason. “Participation in High School Sports Rises for 22nd Consecutive Year.” US News. USNews & World Report, September 2, 2011. Web. December 3, 2013.) Academic Achievement, Popularity, and Physical Fitness they are all directly influenced by involvement in athletics. Overall, and contrary to popular belief, students who participate in athletic activities often have higher physical, mental, and emotional abilities than their non-participating peers. Student athletes are stereotypically portrayed as popular but unintelligent and unmotivated to excel academically, seeking only the glory that comes from excellence in football, baseball, or other athletic fields. This portrayal has led to the term “dumb jock,” which is how student athletes are often portrayed in Hollywood and the media. For example, Danny Zuko in the movie "Grease" was cute, adored by girls and idolized by boys, but stupid, evidenced by the scene where the school coach unsuccessfully tries to teach Danny how to play various sports. Likewise, the television show “Friday Night Lights” portrayed high school football players as the envy of everyone whose glory days ended as soon as they graduated from high school. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to hear rumors of colleges, where successful sports programs translate into money, overlooking cheating by star athletes or going so far as to undertake efforts to help a star athlete achieve a particular grade level only so that the athlete can remain eligible to participate in the sport. However, students across the country often challenge the stereotypical portrayal of the “dumb jock” or the athlete who must have help behind the scenes… middle of the paper… comparison of athletes and non-athletes at highly selective colleges." Research in Higher Education 45.16 (2004): 557-602. Web. October 7, 2013. Boyd, Charles E. and Steven M. Ross. “The Influence of Participation in Junior Athletics on Student Attitudes and Grades.” ) Web. October 7, 2013. Miller, Kathleen E., Merrill J. Melnick, Grace M. Barnes, Michael P. Farrell, and Don Sabo. “Untangling the Links between Athletic Involvement, Gender, Race, and Adolescent Academic Achievement.” Sports (2005): 178-93. Web. Pallerino, Michael J. “SAVING OUR KIDS.” Sporting Goods Business (2004): Web. 7 October 2013. Schafer, Walter E. and J. Michael Armer are inferior students." Society6.1 (2004): 21-26 Web. Stegall, Ryan "A Study of Athlete Grade Point Averages Compared to . Not athletes." (2012): 1-19. Network. October 7. 2013.