Growing Participation in High School Athletics and Activities Programs

It is the beginning of the year and excitement builds as students feel more familiar with the physical campus. Teachers have reached the point where they better understand their class rosters and can scaffold prior knowledge so students can learn new concepts. For a small group of students, this simple connection to learning may be enough; however, many students want to further explore their potential and experience collective, community identity through athletic and activity participation.

Student athletics and activities programs are an integral part of a complete high school experience and although individual teams and clubs may experience losses and gains in participation numbers, leaders can promote the healthy growth of programs through collaboration with teachers, generating excitement in the school community, and being aware of participation data trends to address and adapt to the needs of student populations.

Recruit Campus PE Classes
Physical education classes present incredible opportunities to start growing athletic and activity programs. Almost all schools nationwide have a requirement for underclassmen to take physical education classes to promote healthy habits. These courses also are a great starting point to connect students to co-curricular participation. Athletic and activity directors have the opportunity to present to physical education classes about the various sport seasons, clubs and activities, game schedules and practice requirements. Physical education teachers can also serve as a bridge to both athletics and activities by encouraging involvement in school programs.

Speaking with physical education classes and encouraging co-curricular activities can change the course of a student’s high school career, and school leaders can leverage physical education classes to create this connection. If students experience and understand the benefits of co-curricular activities and athletics early in their school careers, they are more apt to continue and promote the growth mindset needed for a successful, comprehensive co-curricular program.

Promote Participation Opportunities with Videos, Social Media
Students attend classes daily and experience a wide range of curricular activities; however, high school graduates frequently report that some of their most valuable learning experiences come from their activity and athletic participation. Students today are frequently connected to their digital devices, and leaders can leverage student interest by creating videos and utilizing social media. School leaders who use promotional materials and ideas to generate interest in programs are more likely to sustain excitement and encourage student participation.

Depending on existing programs at a particular school, leaders can further empower students to play an active role in creating positive, shareable promotional media. For example, a yearbook, video art or digital graphic arts program may be given the task of creating promotional videos for a specific team or club on campus. A few videos with students sharing what they learned, enjoyed and most remembered can be an incredible testimonial to those who are deciding to join a club or participate in athletics for the first time.

The Parent Meeting and a Current Information Website
Getting parents involved is another way to grow successful programs. Parents play a key role in encouraging students to participate as most students discuss their options with their parents before exploring participation. To better empower parents to understand the purpose of co-curricular activities and give them the tools necessary to answer student questions, it is important to have both a time and place where they can easily get their questions answered. Two ways to provide such information are parent meetings and an updated school website.

Parent meetings should be held at various times of the year including the start of the school year, the beginning of a particular sports season such as fall, winter or spring, and at the end of seasons to celebrate successes and collect participant feedback. At each of these meetings, a portion of time can be devoted to the goals of the school, the goals of the athletic program, and further defining how co-curricular activities are connected to a complete education that values students challenging their limits. When students understand that high school sports and activities give them opportunities to push past individual limits, learn how to collaborate with each other, and develop lifelong friendships in a fun, challenging environment, they are more likely to participate regardless of win/loss outcomes of actual games and contests.

For parents who are unable to attend meetings, schools can provide valuable resources on their website. It could be as simple as recording parent meetings and posting them to the site for parents to watch at their leisure, but websites can also include more detailed information such as how to contact the coach and athletic/ activity director, specific team and school policies, and downloadable schedules so students and parents know the expected commitment of each participant. Most importantly, a website is only as good as the information posted. Websites need to be up to date as outdated information can easily detract students from participation and may lead to an assumption that such programs are not valued by the school.

Track Data to Analyze Trends
Each program offered by a school may experience variations in participation. It is important to identify trends in participation as such data may reveal different strengths or weaknesses within a specific program. Depending on the data collected, it may reveal gaps that can be addressed as well.

For instance, a school may recognize that ninth-grade girls have a much smaller participant number in the fall sports season as opposed to the spring. In such a scenario, school leaders might have students take surveys to discern the difference between the two seasons and discover they need to support more ninth-grade outreach programs focusing on inclusion, a welcoming environment and safety to determine if such a focused effort has an impact to improve participation numbers.

It is important to realize that not all data points can be easily explained, nor does data alone give a complete picture; however, when school leaders use data as a pathway to unlock potential, it becomes more probable that programs, and consequently entire schools, may find more positive outcomes.

Final Thoughts
For many students, athletic and activity participation becomes the highlight of their high school career. The more school leaders can develop and support pathways for students to participate in co-curricular activities, the more connected students will be to their schools and communities. In addition, co-curricular participation allows students to have more meaningful high school experiences that generate positive memories and experiences that will serve as a strength after they leave high school and begin their careers.