Girls Participation Reaches 3 Million

By Robert F. Kanaby, NFHS executive director, and Ron Laird, NFHS president

You go girl! Our cover story on the latest high school participation figures indicates that girls participation in high school athletics has exceeded the 3 million mark for the first time. This milestone was reached at the same time we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the passage of Title IX -- the event that opened the door for girls to play sports at the high school level.

When Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 was passed, only 294,015 girls were participating in high school athletics. With the door opened, and followed a few years later by the baby-boom era, the number of girls playing high school sports swelled to 2,083,040 by 1977. After foundering a bit in the 1980s, the number reached 2,130,315 by 1993 but  in the past 14 years, an additional million girls are now enjoying the benefits of high school sports participation.

The good news was not limited to the girls side, however, as the number of boys rose by more than 100,000. In fact, the overall increase of 183,006 participants from the previous year was the largest one-year jump in 13 years. Further, the survey revealed that more than 54 percent of students enrolled in high schools participate in athletics.

All of this information points to the fact that in spite of increasing challenges to funding programs, schools are continuing to provide opportunities and young men and women are continuing to prefer education-based high school athletics over out-of-school club teams. It is apparent that despite the lure of elite, out-of-school programs, there is nothing that compares with being a part of the high school-based team.

We know from years of experience that participation in these high school-based programs makes individuals happier and better citizens, builds strong minds and bodies, fosters cooperative spirit and sportsmanship, creates poise and confidence, teaches discipline and helps young people understand how to win and how to lose. It is doubtful that club teams do much to promote the well-being of the participant. Winning is paramount in these programs, and there is little sense of community or camaraderie without the school behind the team. Our young people want connectivity, and high school athletics provide that opportunity.

Certainly, there are school districts in some areas that are facing budget crunches. Many have resorted to participation fees, and the November issue of High School Today will assess the current state of "Pay to Play." Our hope is that school boards, when faced with decisions about funding athletics and fine arts programs in schools, will recognize the huge return on their investment. If our latest participation survey is any indication, most of them are doing just that.

A perfect world would be for schools to see the value of activity programs and fund these programs from the annual budget. In most cases, less than three percent of an overall school district's budget is devoted to athletics. A small price to pay, we believe, for being able to teach values to young people that cannot be taught in a classroom.

We believe our young people today need athletics and fine arts programs, and it is obvious from our most recent survey data that high school students want these programs. Throughout the year in towns all across this country, moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, travel to high school games to watch their sons and daughters, and grandsons and granddaughters, play high school sports. While they enjoy being proud parents and grandparents, perhaps the biggest thrill is remembering when it was their day on the field or court. And now, thanks to Title IX, women will be able to look back and recount their high school experiences, as opposed to those of earlier generations who only can lament about lack of opportunity.

Not only did we continue to see growth in the more mainstream, popular sports, but state associations and schools are seeking to involve more people in high school sports by new sport offerings. A look at the survey reveals growing interest in such sports as weightlifting, lacrosse, bowling, flag football, crew and water polo, among others.

No other country in the world offers young people the opportunity to participate in sports within an educational setting. It is a tremendous privilege that we have in the United States, and we must keep that opportunity available to all. "Take Part. Get Set for Life" is our new tag line. As young people participate in high school activity programs, it helps prepare them for life after high school.