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MHSAA Sports Participation Continues Upward Trend for 3rd-Straight Year
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 6, 2024
Participation in Michigan High School Athletic Association-sponsored sports rose for the third-straight school year in 2023-24 – this time by nearly one percent – and continued to do so despite another 2-percent decrease in school enrollment among the MHSAA’s 754 member high schools.
A total of 270,664 participants were counted across the 28 sports for which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments – a 0.97-percent increase from 2022-23 and despite a 1.8-percent decrease in MHSAA member school enrollment. Boys participation rose 1.1 percent to 158,260, despite a 1.8 percent decrease in boys enrollment. Girls participation rose 0.7 percent to 112,377, while girls enrollment dipped 1.9 percent from the previous school year.
MHSAA participation totals count students once for each sport in which they participate, meaning students who are multiple-sport athletes are counted more than once. The boys participation total for 2023-24 was its highest since 2018-19, predating the sharp decrease brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020-21 school year.
Only 11 sports saw increases in participation during 2023-24 – compared to 18 sports that reported increases between 2021-22 and 2022-23. However, two sports set participation records this past school year. Girls golf reported 3,936 athletes, an increase of 6.2 percent from the previous year and that sport’s most since 2002-03. Girls lacrosse broke its record set in 2019-20 with 3,245 athletes, up nine-tenths of a percent from the previous year.
Wrestling reported the largest increase in participation for the second-straight school year, this time by 12.8 percent with 11,814 athletes – and the rise again mostly attributable to the rapid growth in girls participation in the sport, which jumped another 39 percent with 1,216 wrestlers this past season. Girls tennis enjoyed the next largest participation jump, increasing 9.1 percent with 8,911 athletes, that sport’s most since 2018-19.
Both girls and boys track & field increased for the third-straight year, girls by 5.2 percent to 17,325 competitors and boys 2.9 percent to 23,888. Boys lacrosse (up 3.9 percent to 5,236 athletes) and boys golf (up 3.3 percent to 7,222) also joined their girls counterparts in those sports in trending upward.
Boys soccer (up 5.1 percent to 13,953 athletes), girls competitive cheer (3.9 percent to 6,172) and football (11 and 8-player combined – 0.5 percent to 35,174) also showed increases. Football remains the most-played sport statewide with more than 11,000 more athletes than the next highest, boys track & field, and the 2023-24 football participation total was that sport’s highest since 2018-19. Boys basketball (20,199 participants), girls volleyball (19,119) and girls track & field ranked third through fifth, respectively, among the state’s most-played sports this past school year.
Although 17 sports saw lower participation in 2023-24 than the previous year, five experienced decreases smaller than the overall 1.8-percent loss in enrollment at member schools – boys ice hockey (-0.03 percent with just one fewer participant than in 2022-23), girls soccer (-0.3 percent), girls volleyball (-0.8 percent), boys tennis (-1.2 percent), boys cross country (-1.3 percent) and girls softball (-1.5 percent). Girls cross country just missed that line with only a 1.9-percent decrease from the previous year.
The participation figures are gathered annually from MHSAA member schools to submit to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for compiling of its national participation survey. Results of Michigan surveys from the 2000-01 school year to present may be viewed on the Sports Participation Listing page of MHSAA.com.
The following chart shows participation figures for the 2023-24 school year from MHSAA member schools for sports in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament:
BOYS |
|
GIRLS |
||
Sport |
Schools (A) |
Participants |
Schools (A) |
Participants (B) |
Baseball |
664/11 |
16,294 |
- |
-/15 |
Basketball |
730/3 |
20,193 |
722 |
13,113/6 |
Bowling |
431/0 |
4,292 |
425 |
2,767 |
Competitive Cheer |
- |
- |
348 |
6,172 |
Cross Country |
676/0 |
7,886 |
672 |
6,729 |
Football - 11 player |
509/78 |
32,431 |
- |
-/143 |
8-player |
120/16 |
2,583 |
- |
-/17 |
Golf |
549/41 |
7,135 |
389 |
3,936/87 |
Gymnastics |
- |
- |
104 |
529 |
Ice Hockey |
326/10 |
3,117 |
- |
-/11 |
Lacrosse |
187/13 |
5,210 |
132 |
3,245/26 |
Skiing |
135/0 |
822 |
133 |
786 |
Soccer |
495/15 |
13,903 |
490 |
11,829/50 |
Softball |
- |
- |
645 |
11,544 |
Swimming & Diving |
282/17 |
3,990 |
287 |
4,726/48 |
Tennis |
305/15 |
5,918 |
335 |
8,911/27 |
Track & Field |
692/0 |
23,888 |
694 |
17,325 |
Volleyball |
- |
- |
719 |
19,119 |
Wrestling |
511/288 |
10,598 |
-/1,216 |
(A) The first number is the number of schools reporting sponsorship on the Sports Participation Survey, including primary and secondary schools in cooperative programs as of May 15, 2024. The second number indicates the number of schools that had girls playing on teams consisting primarily of boys.
(B) The second number indicates the number of additional girls playing on teams consisting primarily of boys and entered in boys competition.
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Update Meeting Series Returns In Person for 44th Year
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 14, 2021
The Michigan High School Athletic Association will conduct its 44th annual Update Meeting series in person in the coming weeks – after the 2020 series was provided online only because of COVID-19 – and this year’s schedule will again offer in-service programming for athletic directors at six of the seven locations.
The Update series is annually attended by more than 800 school administrators. During the meetings, information about current MHSAA activities is disseminated, issues affecting interscholastic athletics are discussed and attendees are surveyed on various topics.
Six luncheon meetings are scheduled in the Lower Peninsula, and a morning meeting is scheduled for Marquette in the Upper Peninsula. MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl will address high school superintendents, principals, athletic directors and school board members on a variety of topics at these meetings. Update Meetings also provide school administrators an opportunity to ask questions and discuss any recent changes in the Association's rules and regulations.
This also will be the 19th year of Athletic Director In-Service programs conducted during morning-long sessions prior to most of the Update Meetings. These workshops are designed to help prepare those administrators for the rigors of their jobs, and with the Update Meetings offer those in attendance an opportunity to meet with administrators from neighboring school districts with whom they normally are not able to have day-to-day contact.
The meeting in Lansing on Oct. 6 also will serve as the Annual Business Meeting for the MHSAA. The registration form for Athletic Director In-Service and Update Meetings is available on the MHSAA Website.
Here is a schedule of the 2021 Update Meetings:
• Sept. 15 – Four Points by Sheraton, Kalamazoo (Noon – Preceded by AD In-Service at 8:30 a.m.)
• Sept. 20 – Ukrainian Cultural Center, Warren (Noon – Preceded by AD In-Service at 8:30 a.m.)
• Sept. 22 – Zehnder's Restaurant, Frankenmuth (Noon – Preceded by AD In-Service at 8:30 a.m.)
• Sept. 27 – English Hills Country Club, Comstock Park (Noon – Preceded by AD In-Service at 8:30 a.m.)
• Oct. 4 – Otsego Club & Resort, Gaylord (Noon – Preceded by AD In-Service at 8:30 a.m.)
• Oct. 6 – Causeway Bay, Lansing (Noon – Preceded by AD In-Service at 8:30 a.m.)
• Oct. 22 – Northern Michigan University Superior Dome, Marquette (10 a.m.)
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,400 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 more than 1.4 million spectators each year.