The study gazes at how the academic success of college student-athletes in Region III, Philippines, is affected by their overall preparedness, specifically on their physical, mental, emotional, and social preparedness. Using a descriptive-correlational approach, a researcher-made questionnaire was utilized to ask 200 student-athletes about their preparation in the above stated areas and their academic achievement via their General Weighted Average (GWA). The results show that most student-athletes are physically and mentally ready, which is linked to a good academic standing (moderately correlated, p < 0.01). Conversely, emotional preparedness exhibits a slight negative correlation, whereas social preparedness does not significantly impact academic success. The findings illustrate the importance of tailoring training programs to address physical and mental health support systems to meet the diverse needs of student-athletes. To improve general health and academic achievement, the recommendations include putting in place specific priority programs that promote physical and mental growth such as doing frequent health checks, effective recovery program, injury prevention training, coping mechanism enhancement and creating a friendly campus atmosphere. This study elucidates the intricate relationship between holistic preparation and academic outcomes. It is also a starting point for targeted interventions that may help student- athletes do better in school and in sports.

Keywords: holistic preparedness; academic success; tertiary student-athletes; descriptive- correlational study; State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)