Academic Sport as a Manifestation of the Social Responsibility of the University – Case Study of University of Economics in Katowice

Sport is not the main activity of most universities, but it undoubtedly influences the psychophysical development of the academic community. It may also have a positive impact on the educational process and simply on the satisfaction with learning and functioning at university. The possibility of developing sports at universities can be considered a manifestation of the university’s social responsibility. A special role is played here by university clubs, whose members, often as volunteers and in cooperation with the authorities, carry out tasks related to the functioning of the sports sphere of higher education. This work, based on a case study of the University of Economics in Katowice aims to show the role of amateur and semi-professional academic sports in implementing the idea of social responsibility by universities. The work shows that although only a small group of students participate in university sports activities, they can achieve significant sports results, which may affect their satisfaction with the university education process, but also improve or at least maintain their health in their later lives.