Nontraditional students returning to college have many outside stressors that potentially prohibit academic success including full-time jobs, home life (children, spouses, and bills), and lack of time or understanding of college assignments. An explanatory mixed methods study was conducted for the purpose of determining if and for how long the benefits of being a student athlete in high school lasts for nontraditional college students. This study was conducted with 54 allied health students attending Keiser University in Lakeland, Florida. They completed a quantitative survey of 16 questions regarding their participation in athletics in high school and were then offered the opportunity to complete face-to-face interviews to further discuss their perceptions. Four students participated in the qualitative interviews. The quantitative research results indicated that participants believe athletic participation leads to long-term benefits including teamwork, discipline, and time management lasting up to 8 years. The qualitative research revealed that participants perceived their high school athletic participation was related to their success at the collegiate level. Three of the four participants agreed that athletic participation encourages retention for college students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]