Since the 2020-2021 school year, which saw record low numbers for high school sports participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, every sports calendar season afterwards has seen an uptick in student-athlete numbers. Per the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), those numbers have reached record levels. According to a release by the NFHS […]
Since the 2020-2021 school year, which saw record low numbers for high school sports participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, every sports calendar season afterwards has seen an uptick in student-athlete numbers. Per the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), those numbers have reached record levels.
According to a release by the NFHS on Monday, the country saw a record-high in registered participation numbers for high school sports. The NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey that was provided via a press release stated that 8,260,891 students participated in high school sports for the 2024-2025 athletic season, which was was up nearly 200,000 from 2023-2024.
“It is wonderful to see the interest in high school sports reach new heights,” NFHS CEO Dr. Karissa Niehoff said via the press release. “The immense value of high school sports is reflected in these impressive numbers. As high school students have consistently demonstrated their desire to play with their peers and represent their schools and community, state and school administrators have stepped up to offer more participation opportunities to meet that demand.”
Per the NFHS release, the high school sport that saw the biggest rise of them all was girls flag football, which rose to 68,847 participants in total, a 60 percent increase from 2023-2024.
Another girls sport that saw a big jump from the year before was wrestling, as it saw a 15 percent rise in participation, with 74,000 participants for the first time.
High school football remained king when it came to participation from high schoolers, with over one-million participants from last year.
The NFHS provided lists for the top 10 most popular sports between the boys and the girls from the NFHS Athletics Participation Survey.
Ten Most Popular Boys Programs per NFHS Athletics Participation Survey
1. Football – 11-Player: 1,031,039
2. Track and Field – Outdoor: 644,235
3. Basketball: 540,704
4. Soccer: 484,908
5. Baseball: 472,598
6. Wrestling: 300,214
7. Cross Country: 238,685
8. Golf: 162,357
9. Tennis: 158,667
10. Swimming & Diving: 119,102
Ten Most Popular Girls Programs per NFHS Athletics Participation Survey
1. Track and Field – Outdoor: 513,808
2. Volleyball: 492,799
3. Soccer: 393,048
4. Basketball: 356,240
5. Softball – Fast Pitch: 331,306
6. Competitive Spirit: 206,262
7. Tennis: 204,721
8. Cross Country: 189,260
9. Swimming & Diving: 138,303
10. Lacrosse: 99,292
Category: General Sports
