The Top Reasons Why High School Sports are Declining
High school sports have long been a way to bring communities together as they cheer for their children, friends, and neighbors. In the past few years, there has been a downward trend in participation in high school sports. Why is it happening, and why is it concerning?
Why the Downward Trend?
Although many blame the downward trend in sports participation on the Covid pandemic, this has only exasperated an already discouraging trend. We first witnessed this decrease in sports participation in the 2018-2019 sports season, as it was the first time in 30 years that a decline occurred.
Beyond the pandemic, many blame our society’s focus on specialization as the key culprit. Why is this, and what does this mean? Even though we have seen a decline in sports participation, sports continue to be successful, and a large amount of funding is still put into athletic programs.
In fact, many elite high schools engage in recruiting to build up their teams. This recruitment doesn’t just happen between local schools either; in some cases, coaches are scouting from multiple states away to offer scholarships to elite private schools. Multiple athletes then proceed to live at their coach’s home and play. This high school recruitment then leads to a greater likelihood of college recruitment.
If your high school is not recruiting from other states, they are most likely recruiting from feeder teams. Feeder teams are local programs and organizations that build on the skills of children from a young age. Coaches from the local high schools may have established relationships with these programs, and might not consider athletes outside of them.
Due to this specialization, many students with few opportunities to play no longer attempt to try out because of inexperience in the sport.
Another contributing factor to the downward trend in sports participation can be attributed to the negative effects of concussions and other related injuries. This is especially true among football turnout.
Why is it Concerning?
This is a concerning trend because there are many disadvantaged students that are no longer being afforded opportunities they would have otherwise had. These more financially disadvantaged students do not get the opportunity to develop some of the skills and teamwork that have long been established as a benefit of engaging in team sports.
Additionally, physical educators warn that this decrease in sports participation will lead to a decrease in physical ability and a more negative impact on health in the long run. In fact, less participation in school sports leads to a greater risk of obesity, because sports tend to help teach some of the fundamental physical skills and routines for adequate exercise.
With almost a quarter of children between the ages of 12 and 19 being obese, lower sports participation is an issue.
These statistics also stress the importance of being assessed by a medical professional for a physical. This will help to determine if there are any underlying conditions that you should be aware before transitioning into more physical activity.
Conclusion
With our changing society and the negative impact this change is having on the health of our children, it is imperative that communities make sports more accessible for all children. It is also important that parents remove some of the pressure from their children so that they can enjoy their childhood for as long as possible, and not be shipped off to multiple states away to play sports. If we approach this athletic decline from multiple perspectives, we have a greater likelihood of change.