Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aims to determine the relationship between mental toughness and academic achievement among junior high school student-athletes. This study uses a quantitative approach, using a survey to assess mental toughness and academic achievement. The participants of the study were 109 student-athletes from state junior high schools 18 and 2 Bengkulu City. The findings of the study indicate that student-athletes have mental toughness in the moderate category, and the academic achievement of student-athletes is in a good category. From the results of statistical analysis using SPSS version 22, it is known that there is no relationship between mental toughness and academic achievement among junior high school student-athletes (sig.636 > 0.05). However, the findings show that student-athletes with more mental toughness tend to show higher levels of academic achievement. This study highlights the importance of developing mental toughness not only for sports but also for academic success. This study offers insights for educators, coaches, and policymakers to strive to improve athletic performance and educational outcomes in junior high schools.
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Article Details
Copyright (c) 2025 Yahya Eko Nopiyanto, Andes Permadi, Rachman Dani, Ipa Sari Kardi, Ibrahim, Cahyo Wibowo, Arizky Ramadhan

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References
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- Brenda L. Vogel, Jeff Kress, & Daniel R. Jeske. (2019). Student-Athletes vs. Athlete-Students: The academic success, campus involvement, and future goals of Division I student athletes who were university bound compared to those who would not have attended a university had they not been an athlete. The Sport Journal, 1–25.
- Brown, D. J., Fletcher, D., Henry, I., Borrie, A., Emmett, J., Buzza, A., & Wombwell, S. (2015). A British university case study of the transitional experiences of student-athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 21, 78–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2015.04.002
- Bulent, O. M., Ugur, O., & Ozkan, B. (2017). Evaluation of sport mental toughness and psychological wellbeing in undergraduate student athletes. Educational Research and Reviews, 12(8), 483–487. https://doi.org/10.5897/err2017.3216
- Bull, S. J., Shambrook, C. J., James, W., & Brooks, J. E. (2005). Towards an understanding of mental toughness in elite English cricketers. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 17(3), 209–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200591010085
- Coulter, T. J., Mallett, C. J., & Gucciardi, D. F. (2010). Understanding mental toughness in Australian soccer: Perceptions of players, parents, and coaches. Journal of Sports Sciences, 28(7), 699–716. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640411003734085
- Flashman, J. (2012). Academic achievement and its impact on friend dynamics. Sociology of Education, 85(1), 61–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038040711417014
- Fogaca, J. L. (2021). Combining Mental Health and Performance Interventions: Coping and Social Support for Student-Athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 33(1), 4–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2019.1648326
- Georgakis, S., Wilson, R., & Ferguson, J. (2014). The Academic Achievement of Elite Athletes at an Australian University: Debunking the Dumb Jock Syndrome. International Journal of Higher Education, 3(2), 120–130. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v3n2p120
- Gucciardi, D. F. (2017). Mental toughness: progress and prospects. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16(16), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.010
- Gucciardi, D. F., Hanton, S., Gordon, S., Mallett, C. J., & Temby, P. (2015). The Concept of Mental Toughness: Tests of Dimensionality, Nomological Network, and Traitness. Journal of Personality, 83(1), 26–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12079
- Hodes, J. S., James, T., Martin, G., & Milliner, K. (2015). Go for the Win: A Collaborative Model for Supporting Student-Athletes. Learning Assistance Review, 20(2014), 47–60. http://libaccess.mcmaster.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1697505185?accountid=12347 http://sfx.scholarsportal.info/mcmaster?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&genre=article&sid=ProQ:ProQ%3Aericshell&atitle=Go+for
- Huml, M. R., Hancock, M. G., & Bergman, M. J. (2014). Additional support or extravagant cost?: Student-athletes’ perceptions on athletic academic centers. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 7(January 2017), 410–430. https://ir.library.louisville.edu/faculty%0Ahttp://csri-jiia.org/old/documents/publications/research_articles/2014/JIIA_2014_7_20_Athletes_Perceptions_410_430.pdf
- Hunt, M. Q., Novak, C. E., Madrigal, L. A., & Vargas, T. M. (2020). Strategies for Developing Mental Toughness in High School Athletes. Strategies, 33(1), 14–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/08924562.2019.1680330
- Ishaq, F. J., & Bass, J. (2019). High Impact Educational Practices and the Student Athlete Experience: The Implementation and Barriers of HIPs in the Student Athlete Support Setting. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 12(1), 178–204. http://csri-jiia.org
- Jones, G., Hanton, S., & Connaughton, D. (2002). What is this thing called mental toughness? An investigation of elite sport performers. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14(3), 205–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200290103509
- Miçooğulları, B. O. (2017). The Sports mental toughness questionnaire (SMTQ): A psychometric evaluation of the Turkish version Dotazník sportovní psychické odolnosti (SMTQ): psychometrické hodnocení turecké verze. Studia Sportiva, 11(2), 90–98.
- Niehues, M., Gerlach, E., Wendeborn, T., & Sallen, J. (2022). Successful in Sports but Worse in School? Adolescent Student-Athletes’ Development of Scholastic Performances. Frontiers in Education, 7(June), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.946284
- O’Neil, L., Amorose, A. J., & Pierce, S. (2021). Student-athletes’ dual commitment to school and sport: Compatible or conflicting? Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 52, 101799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101799
- Parker, P. C., Perry, R. P., Coffee, P., Chipperfield, J. G., Hamm, J. M., Daniels, L. M., & Dryden, R. P. (2021). The impact of student-athlete social identity on psychosocial adjustment during a challenging educational transition. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 56(May), 101979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.101979
- Parker, P. C., Perry, R. P., Hamm, J. M., Chipperfield, J. G., & Hladkyj, S. (2016). Enhancing the academic success of competitive student athletes using a motivation treatment intervention (Attributional Retraining). In Psychology of Sport and Exercise (Vol. 26). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2016.06.008
- Pocius, E., & Malinauskas, R. (2024). Development of Mental Toughness among Basketball Sports School Students. Behavioral Sciences, 14(4), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14040314
- Putra, M. F. P., Kurdi, Syahruddin, S., Hasibuan, S., Sinulingga, A., Kamaruddin, I., Kristiyandaru, A., Mashud, Hariadi, I., Guntoro, T. S., Sutoro, Sinaga, E., Ibrahim, Setiawan, E., & Ridwan, M. (2024). An Indonesian Version of Mental Toughness Index: Testing Psychometric Properties in Athletes and Non-athletes. Retos, 55, 816–824. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v55.106086
- Rothschild-Checroune, E., Gravelle, F., Dawson, D., & Karlis, G. (2012). Balancing academic and athletic time management : A qualitative exploration of first year student athletes’ university football experiences. Loisir et Societe, 35(2), 243–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/07053436.2012.10707843
- Sæther, S. A., Feddersen, N., Andresen, E., & Bjørndal, C. T. (2022). Balancing sport and academic development: Perceptions of football players and coaches in two types of Norwegian school-based dual career development environments. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 17(6), 1270–1282. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221111462
- Stipek, D. J., & Weisz, J. R. (1981). Perceived Personal Control and Academic Achievement. Review of Educational Research, 51(1), 101–137. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543051001101
- Vavassori, R., Moreno, M. P., & Ureña Espa, A. (2023). The Perception of Volleyball Student-Athletes: Evaluation of Well-Being, Sport Workload, Players’ Response, and Academic Demands. Healthcare (Switzerland), 11(11), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11111538
- Weight, E. A., Harry, M., & Navarro, K. (2020). Integrating Athletics Within the Academy: Educational Experiences of Athletes, Musicians, and Traditional Students. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 13(1), 143–169. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=143750050&site=ehost-live&scope=site
References
Akbar, A., Abd Karim, Z., Zakaria, J., Suryanef, Cahyani, F. I., Rahman, M. A., Hamzah, N. B., & bin Mohamad, S. K. (2024). Understanding Mental Toughness in Student-Athletes: Insights from Sport Psychology Comprensión De La Fortaleza Mental En Estudiantes-Atletas: Conocimientos De La Psicología Del Deporte. Retos, 54, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v54.102230
Akbar, A., Karim, Z. A., Zakaria, J., Kurniawan, R., Cahyani, F. I., Dwatra, F. D., & Rinaldi. (2023). The Role of Mental Toughness in Improving Achievement: The Perspective of Sport Psychology on Student-Athletes. International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 11(6), 1376–1382. https://doi.org/10.13189/saj.2023.110623
Brenda L. Vogel, Jeff Kress, & Daniel R. Jeske. (2019). Student-Athletes vs. Athlete-Students: The academic success, campus involvement, and future goals of Division I student athletes who were university bound compared to those who would not have attended a university had they not been an athlete. The Sport Journal, 1–25.
Brown, D. J., Fletcher, D., Henry, I., Borrie, A., Emmett, J., Buzza, A., & Wombwell, S. (2015). A British university case study of the transitional experiences of student-athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 21, 78–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2015.04.002
Bulent, O. M., Ugur, O., & Ozkan, B. (2017). Evaluation of sport mental toughness and psychological wellbeing in undergraduate student athletes. Educational Research and Reviews, 12(8), 483–487. https://doi.org/10.5897/err2017.3216
Bull, S. J., Shambrook, C. J., James, W., & Brooks, J. E. (2005). Towards an understanding of mental toughness in elite English cricketers. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 17(3), 209–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200591010085
Coulter, T. J., Mallett, C. J., & Gucciardi, D. F. (2010). Understanding mental toughness in Australian soccer: Perceptions of players, parents, and coaches. Journal of Sports Sciences, 28(7), 699–716. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640411003734085
Flashman, J. (2012). Academic achievement and its impact on friend dynamics. Sociology of Education, 85(1), 61–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038040711417014
Fogaca, J. L. (2021). Combining Mental Health and Performance Interventions: Coping and Social Support for Student-Athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 33(1), 4–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2019.1648326
Georgakis, S., Wilson, R., & Ferguson, J. (2014). The Academic Achievement of Elite Athletes at an Australian University: Debunking the Dumb Jock Syndrome. International Journal of Higher Education, 3(2), 120–130. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v3n2p120
Gucciardi, D. F. (2017). Mental toughness: progress and prospects. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16(16), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.010
Gucciardi, D. F., Hanton, S., Gordon, S., Mallett, C. J., & Temby, P. (2015). The Concept of Mental Toughness: Tests of Dimensionality, Nomological Network, and Traitness. Journal of Personality, 83(1), 26–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12079
Hodes, J. S., James, T., Martin, G., & Milliner, K. (2015). Go for the Win: A Collaborative Model for Supporting Student-Athletes. Learning Assistance Review, 20(2014), 47–60. http://libaccess.mcmaster.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1697505185?accountid=12347 http://sfx.scholarsportal.info/mcmaster?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&genre=article&sid=ProQ:ProQ%3Aericshell&atitle=Go+for
Huml, M. R., Hancock, M. G., & Bergman, M. J. (2014). Additional support or extravagant cost?: Student-athletes’ perceptions on athletic academic centers. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 7(January 2017), 410–430. https://ir.library.louisville.edu/faculty%0Ahttp://csri-jiia.org/old/documents/publications/research_articles/2014/JIIA_2014_7_20_Athletes_Perceptions_410_430.pdf
Hunt, M. Q., Novak, C. E., Madrigal, L. A., & Vargas, T. M. (2020). Strategies for Developing Mental Toughness in High School Athletes. Strategies, 33(1), 14–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/08924562.2019.1680330
Ishaq, F. J., & Bass, J. (2019). High Impact Educational Practices and the Student Athlete Experience: The Implementation and Barriers of HIPs in the Student Athlete Support Setting. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 12(1), 178–204. http://csri-jiia.org
Jones, G., Hanton, S., & Connaughton, D. (2002). What is this thing called mental toughness? An investigation of elite sport performers. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14(3), 205–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200290103509
Miçooğulları, B. O. (2017). The Sports mental toughness questionnaire (SMTQ): A psychometric evaluation of the Turkish version Dotazník sportovní psychické odolnosti (SMTQ): psychometrické hodnocení turecké verze. Studia Sportiva, 11(2), 90–98.
Niehues, M., Gerlach, E., Wendeborn, T., & Sallen, J. (2022). Successful in Sports but Worse in School? Adolescent Student-Athletes’ Development of Scholastic Performances. Frontiers in Education, 7(June), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.946284
O’Neil, L., Amorose, A. J., & Pierce, S. (2021). Student-athletes’ dual commitment to school and sport: Compatible or conflicting? Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 52, 101799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101799
Parker, P. C., Perry, R. P., Coffee, P., Chipperfield, J. G., Hamm, J. M., Daniels, L. M., & Dryden, R. P. (2021). The impact of student-athlete social identity on psychosocial adjustment during a challenging educational transition. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 56(May), 101979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.101979
Parker, P. C., Perry, R. P., Hamm, J. M., Chipperfield, J. G., & Hladkyj, S. (2016). Enhancing the academic success of competitive student athletes using a motivation treatment intervention (Attributional Retraining). In Psychology of Sport and Exercise (Vol. 26). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2016.06.008
Pocius, E., & Malinauskas, R. (2024). Development of Mental Toughness among Basketball Sports School Students. Behavioral Sciences, 14(4), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14040314
Putra, M. F. P., Kurdi, Syahruddin, S., Hasibuan, S., Sinulingga, A., Kamaruddin, I., Kristiyandaru, A., Mashud, Hariadi, I., Guntoro, T. S., Sutoro, Sinaga, E., Ibrahim, Setiawan, E., & Ridwan, M. (2024). An Indonesian Version of Mental Toughness Index: Testing Psychometric Properties in Athletes and Non-athletes. Retos, 55, 816–824. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v55.106086
Rothschild-Checroune, E., Gravelle, F., Dawson, D., & Karlis, G. (2012). Balancing academic and athletic time management : A qualitative exploration of first year student athletes’ university football experiences. Loisir et Societe, 35(2), 243–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/07053436.2012.10707843
Sæther, S. A., Feddersen, N., Andresen, E., & Bjørndal, C. T. (2022). Balancing sport and academic development: Perceptions of football players and coaches in two types of Norwegian school-based dual career development environments. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 17(6), 1270–1282. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221111462
Stipek, D. J., & Weisz, J. R. (1981). Perceived Personal Control and Academic Achievement. Review of Educational Research, 51(1), 101–137. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543051001101
Vavassori, R., Moreno, M. P., & Ureña Espa, A. (2023). The Perception of Volleyball Student-Athletes: Evaluation of Well-Being, Sport Workload, Players’ Response, and Academic Demands. Healthcare (Switzerland), 11(11), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11111538
Weight, E. A., Harry, M., & Navarro, K. (2020). Integrating Athletics Within the Academy: Educational Experiences of Athletes, Musicians, and Traditional Students. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 13(1), 143–169. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=143750050&site=ehost-live&scope=site