The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
MHSAA reports decline in numbers for winter
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2008
Participation in high school sports at Michigan High School Athletic Association member senior high schools decreased 3.19 percent during the 2007-08 winter season, the organization reported in a press release April 22.
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Numbers were down in the majority of winter sports. Overall, there were 2,549 fewer participants than last year, with over 2,000 of that group coming from four sports: girls basketball, wrestling, boys basketball and girls competitive cheerleading.
Girls basketball saw the largest drop in raw numbers, with 688 fewer participants than the 2006-07 school year, a decrease of 3.64 percent. The total number of girls basketball participants (18,222) was the lowest since the MHSAA began tracking participation numbers in 1991-92.
Wrestling experienced a decrease of 522 participants, a 4.64 percent drop over last year. Boys basketball was down by 424 players, a 1.8 percent drop. It was the lowest participation in boys basketball since the 1999-2000 school year and second-lowest rate since 1991-92. Competitive cheerleading saw a sharp drop with 379 fewer participants, a decrease of 4.88 percent.
Girls gymnastics took the biggest hit this season from a percentage standpoint, with a 20.74 percent drop in participation. Its raw numbers went from 781 participants last year to 619 this season, the lowest since 1991-92. Numbers in the sport declined for the fifth straight year after recording 1,108 participants during the 2002-03 school year.
Skiing was also hit hard with drops of just over 10 percent in both genders. The boys and girls participation were both the lowest in 16 years. Decreases in other sports include boys swimming and diving at 1.58 percent (78 participants), girls bowling at 1.85 percent (48 participants) and boys ice hockey at 1.97 percent (80 participants).
Boys bowling and Upper Peninsula girls swimming and diving both saw increases in participation this year. Boys bowling set an all-time high with 3,381 participants, an increase of .33 percent over last year. Girls swimming and diving in the Upper Peninsula had 172 more participants this year, up 41, or 43.75 percent, from the 2006-07 school year.
For the winter, overall boys participation was down 2.5 percent (1,218 participants) and the girls overall were down 4.27 percent (1,331). For the school year to date, overall participation is off less than 1 percent with a decrease of 1,508 (255 boys and 1,253 girls).
According to school responses to the MHSAA Winter Sports Participation Survey, 505 schools reported lower attendance at boys basketball games, while 106 reported it being higher. Attendance at girls basketball games was lower at 419 schools, while it was higher at 171 schools. Cuts were made in girls basketball programs at 41 fewer schools this year, while 16 fewer schools made cuts in boys basketball programs. Between 45 and 49 percent of schools reported that it was more difficult to get varsity and junior varsity officials this year.
These results are based on reports from all 766 MHSAA member senior high schools, comparing actual figures at the same schools between the current school year and last year. The MHSAA routinely collects participation data from member schools to report to the National Federation of State High School Associations.
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