School & District Management Report Roundup

Sports Participation Hits Record High

By Bryan Toporek — August 29, 2011 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The number of high school students playing sports reached an all-time high this past school year, according to the latest annual survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

The High School Athletics Participation Survey, released last week, draws on data from the 50 state high school athletic/activity associations, plus the District of Columbia. It shows that more than 7.6 million students participated in high school sports in the 2010-11 school year, an increase of nearly 40,000 over the previous school year. This was the 22nd straight year with an overall increase in participation in high school sports, according to the federation. Based on the survey, the federation estimates that 55.5 percent of students enrolled in high schools now participate in school-sponsored athletics.

Not surprisingly, 11-player football sits at the top of the list, with a total of 1.1 million student-athletes having played the game in the 2010-11 school year.

Outdoor track and field teams didn’t trail far behind football, enlisting 579,302 male and 475,265 female participants. Basketball attracted more than 900,000 boys and girls this past school year.

Among girls’ sports, lacrosse experienced the greatest one-year increase, as an additional 6,155 girls took part, an increase of 9 percent.

Overall, girls now account for 41 percent of high school student-athletes, according to the survey.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the August 31, 2011 edition of Education Week as Sports Participation Hits Record High

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
How District Leaders Align Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction for Student Success
Join K-12 leaders as they share strategies for aligning curriculum, assessment, and instruction to support all learners.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Achieve Early Literacy Success at Scale
Researchers have uncovered an intervention helping schools achieve early literacy success at scale. Learn how to bring it to your district.
Content provided by Ignite Reading

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion This Time of Year, Principals Have Two Jobs. Here’s How to Ace Them Both
Here are 4 tips on how to finish this school year strong—while preparing for the next.
3 min read
It's the time of year to develop current teachers and look ahead to future hires.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion When School Leaders Deliver Bad Directives
One of the upshots of issuing lame orders is breaking the trust of teachers, which may never be regained.
10 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion 3 Mistakes New Leaders Should Avoid
Districts are searching for aspiring leaders. What does it take to succeed in the role?
4 min read
Screen Shot 2025 01 16 at 5.28.27 PM
Canva
School & District Management 3 Big Challenges School Lunch Programs Face as They Feed Students
School nutrition directors report problems with costs, supply shortages, and staffing.
4 min read
Students wrap up their lunch break at Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Aug. 22, 2023.
Students wrap up their lunch break at Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque, N.M., on Aug. 22, 2023. Rising costs and staff shortages are squeezing school nutrition programs.
Susan Montoya Bryan/AP