Michigan High School Athletic Association - Promoting Educational Athletics
Michigan High School Athletic Association - Promoting Educational Athletics |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Sept. 30, 2005 Michigan Moves Up To Fourth Nationally In HIgh School Sports Participation EAST LANSING, Mich. – Sept. 30 –Michigan's high school sports participation figures for the 2004-05 school year show the state moving up to fourth overall nationally in information released this month by the National Federation of State High School Associations, based on figures submitted by Michigan High School Athletic Association member schools. Michigan 's total of 311,814 participants in all sports, including those in which the MHSAA currently does not conduct a post-season tournament, rank only behind Texas , California and New York , the nation's top three states in total population and in males and females 14-17 years of age according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Michigan ranks eighth in both categories. Last year, Michigan was sixth in overall participation. In girls participation, Michigan 's figure of 130,913 in 2004-05 was again good for fourth place; and its boys participation of 180,901 ranked sixth. The highest ranking Michigan achieved in any single girls sport was in skiing, where it was second. In the sports of basketball, bowling, and tennis, the state ranked third. A fourth-place ranking was achieved in swimming and diving and volleyball; cross country, golf and track and field were fifth; the state was sixth in competitive cheer and soccer participation; seventh in softball; ninth in lacrosse and eleventh in gymnastics. In boys and overall participation in 2003-04, Michigan ranked sixth with 173,896 boys taking part and a total figure of 302,648. In the individual sport rankings, Michigan was third in participation in ice hockey and skiing; fourth in basketball, bowling and tennis; fifth in cross country, football and wrestling; sixth in golf; seventh in baseball and swimming and diving; and eighth in soccer. Michigan ranks eighth in the country in population of boys 14-17 years of age. The 2004-05 totals for girls, boys and overall participation in Michigan were all time records, and girls participation set a new record for the third straight year. The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,800 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year. -0- RL06-006 Farm Bureau Insurance and MEEMIC Insurance are year-round MHSAA Corporate Partners
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