Aug 28, 2019
High school sports participation falls for the first time in 30 years
- Kendall Baker, author of Axios Sports
Participation in high school sports dropped in 2018-19 for the first time in 30 years, according to an annual survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
By the numbers: The 2018-19 total of 7,937,491 participants was a decline of 43,395 from the year prior, when the number of high school athletes reached a record high of 7,980,886.
- All eyes on football: Participation in 11-man football declined for the fifth straight year and reached its lowest mark (1,006,013 participants) since 1999-2000. On the flip side, participation in boys 6-, 8- and 9-player football is up, and girls 11-player football has doubled over the past 10 years.
- Big winners this decade: Since 2012, boys and girls lacrosse is up 19%, boys soccer is up 9% and volleyball has seen growth for both genders (up 26% for boys and 8% for girls).
Most popular sports (boys):
- 11-player football (1,006,013)
- Track and field (605,354)
- Basketball (540,769)
- Baseball (482,740)
- Soccer (459,077)
Most popular sports (girls):
- Track and field (488,267)
- Volleyball (452,808)
- Basketball (399,067)
- Soccer (394,105)
- Softball (362,038)