Student Well-Being

H.S. Sports Participation Hits New High; Boys’ Participation Drops

By Bryan Toporek — August 24, 2012 1 min read
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High school sports participation rose for the 23rd straight year, hitting a new all-time high of 7,692,520 participants, according to the latest annual High School Athletics Participation Survey from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

The numbers aren’t all rosy for boys’ sports, however. Football, boys’ basketball, and boys’ track and field all suffered drops of at least 10,000 participants from the 2010-11 school year.

The survey, released Thursday, compiles data from the 51 state high school athletic/activity associations (including the District of Columbia). It reveals an increase of 24,565 high school sports participants from 2010-11, largely spurred by growth in girls’ sports.

In fact, boys’ participation figures in the 2011-12 school year actually

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Schooled in Sports blog.