Team Insight

9 • Team Insight ~ November/December 2022 teaminsightmag.com I n its first high school sports participa- tion survey in three years, the National Federation of State Hig h S cho ol Associations (NFHS) reported a total of 7,618,054 participants in high school sports for 2021/22, down four percent from its 2018/19 figure of 7,937,491. However, NFHS noted that participation is "on the road back" aer schools could not offer programs in typical fashion during portions of the 2019/20 and 2020/21 school years in the U.S. due to the pandemic. e pandemic interrupted the sports partici- pation data the previous two years, making the 2021/22 survey the organization's first official report since 2018/19. The 2021/22 total comprises 4,376,582 boys and 3,241,472 girls, according to figures obtained from the 51 NFHS member state associations, including the District of Columbia. "Given what has occurred in our country the past three years, we believe a decline of only four percent in participation totals from 2018/19 is pretty remarkable," says Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. "We know some states that were able to complete surveys in 2020/21 reported participation increases this past year. So, we are very optimistic that trend will continue in the years to come as schools fully recover from the effects of the 2020 shutdown." Back on the Field and Court Among the Top 10 boys sports in participants from 2018/19, golf was the only sport to register an increase, up just under four percent, with 148,585 participants and surpassing tennis as the eighth-most popular sport. Golf was among the few sports to increase for boys and girls. Participation by girls was up one percent to 80,829 participants. e biggest storyline for boys' participation totals was football. While boys' 11-player football was down three percent, 1,006,013 to 973,792, less than the overall survey average of four percent, participation in 6-, 8- and 9-player football registered a 12 percent increase from 31,221 to 34,935. e slight movement from 11-player to other versions was also seen in school sponsorship. While the number of schools with 11-player football dropped by 514 (14,247 to 13,733), the number of schools offering 6-, 8- or 9-player football increased by 227 (1563 to 1790). Gains by girls playing football were greater. In all four versions of the game (11-, 9-, 8- and 6-player), girls' participation increased 39 percent from the 2018/19 survey, 2604 to 3633. e increase in girls' flag football was 40 percent — 11,209 to 15,716. In total, boys' and girls' participation in all versions of football decreased 2.2 percent, from 1,051,047 to 1,028,976. "Certainly, the football numbers are en- couraging aer the previous report from the 2018/19 season," Niehoff says. "e movement from 11-player to other versions of the game continues to be attractive to schools in some states, and the growth of girls' flag football continues to gain ground in more areas of the country." Baseball Leads the Way For Boys Baseball had the best showing among Top 10 boys' sports from the 2018/19 survey, with a decrease of 1736, (482,740 to 481,004), and remained fourth in popularity behind football, outdoor track and field and basketball. e other change for boys' Top 10 sports was wrestling, which nudged cross-country for sixth place at 231,874 to 231,387. Wrestling was down six percent from the previous survey, ON THE ROAD BACK There's optimism for high school sports participation after pandemic declines. By Michael Jacobsen TEAM TRENDS

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