With the aim to study students' motivation to sports training for more active involvement in sports and to evaluate the influence of sports activities on the physical development of students we conducted a randomized study of 82 students (44 women and 38 men, average age 22, 8 ± 0.5 years) engaged in different sports sections who were included into main group and a control group of 30 students of different courses (16 women and 14 men, average age 21, 9 ± 0.5 years). The survey included the anonymous questionnaire and the study of the dynamics of physical development by comparing anthropometric data at the beginning and the end of the academic year. The results of the survey showed that the main motivation of students for sports was their desire for active lifestyle (30.5%), the wish to strengthen the health (18.3%), getting interesting leisure activities (15.9%), self-assertion (14,6%), the acquisition of certain skills (speed, accuracy, dexterity, etc.) (10.9%) and getting the athletic body (9.8%). Changes of physical development data showed that in the main group the progress was more significant than in the control group during the year, mainly the increase in vital capacity of lungs and muscle dynamometry parameters prevailed, however, these differences were unreliable. The results obtained were considered by the coaches in carrying out the propaganda of sports among students who had a passive lifestyle.