OPINION: Increasing number of student-athletes beneficial beyond health for youths

An annual survey released by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) released in September reveals participation in high school sports has increased for the 20th straight year and is at an all-time high of 7,536,753 student-athletes.

Participation levels for both boys and girls have reached all-time highs with 4,422,662 boys and 3,114,091 girls playing sports during the 2008-09 school year.

That translates to 55.2 percent of students enrolled in high schools participating in athletics, which is an increase from 54.8 percent in 2007-08.

With 1,112,303 participants, football is No. 1 among the top five sports for boys. Track and field is second with 558,007 participants followed by basketball (545,145), baseball (473,184) and soccer (383,824).

With 457,732 participants, track and field is No. 1 among the top five sports for girls. Basketball is second with 444,809 participants followed by volleyball (404,243), softball (368,921) and soccer (344,534).

While the survey includes 117,793 students who participate on competitive spirit squads, that’s only about a third of the 394,694 students who were found to participate in cheerleading in a NFHS cheerleading survey released in May.

These numbers don’t include private schools, meaning overall participation in high school sports and cheerleading is even greater than what is represented in the NFHS surveys.

These numbers are all good news. With the economic slowdown of the past couple years, the survey shows that parents and school leaders continue to find funding for athletics, which have proven to be beneficial for student-athletes.

First and foremost, athletics are a fun outlet for our kids. And in a world that is becoming increasingly obese, athletics promote fitness by giving our kids opportunities for exercise that include cardio and strength training.

There also is evidence the benefits of athletics go beyond better health. Researchers at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University conclude kids who play sports fare better in school and have stronger social skills. They also infer that sports help prevent drug and alcohol abuse, and kids are less likely to smoke.

Other studies have found kids who participate in sports have increased confidence and self-esteem, and are more likely to graduate high school and college. Also, athletically active girls are less likely to become pregnant as teens.

Sports teach our youths discipline, leadership, time management and how to handle adversity, and they foster a sense of community.

In these troubling times, it’s good to know our kids are still playing games.

— Unsigned editorials represent the views of this newspaper. Editorial Board members are Mark Laskowski (regional publisher), James Bennett (regional editor), Sam Bundy (sports editor), Kimberly Ginfrida (news editor), David Johnson (regional circulation director), Charles Tomlinson (Lake City News & Post editor) and Jackie Torok (metro editor).