Student-Athlete Satisfaction in a Philippine Higher Education: Insights for Institutional Support and Sports Development

Collegiate athletics play a vital role in supporting student-athletes’ academic, athletic, and personal growth, yet disparities in institutional support often affect satisfaction, retention, and program sustainability. While athlete satisfaction has been extensively studied internationally, empirical research in the Philippine context remains limited. This study examined student-athletes’ perceived satisfaction across six domains: self-perception, coaches and trainers, team and teammates, administration, facilities and budget, and support and recognition, at a higher education institution in the Philippines, as these encompass psychological well-being, interpersonal relationships, and institutional support factors that consistently shape student-athlete experiences. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were gathered from 50 varsity athletes across five sports through a validated Likert-scale survey, followed by focus group discussions with 15 athletes selected through maximum variation sampling. Descriptive statistics summarized satisfaction levels, while thematic analysis provided qualitative insights into areas for improvement. Results showed Highly Satisfactory ratings in self-perception (M = 3.45), team and teammates (M = 3.48), administration (M = 3.38), and support and recognition (M = 3.39). Coaches and trainers (M = 3.23) and facilities and budget (M = 2.82) were rated Satisfactory, with qualitative insights citing inconsistent coaching quality, outdated facilities, and inequitable budgets for non-priority sports. Recommendations include standardized coach training, facility upgrades, equitable resource allocation, expanded housing, and enhanced recognition systems. This study provides context-specific evidence to inform policy and program development in Philippine collegiate sports.