MHSAA sports participation sees upward trend for third-straight year

Big Bay de Noc’s Nick Desjarden boots a corner kick during a game against Grand Marais on Oct. 10, 2023 at Big Bay de Noc schools.

EAST LANSING – 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% decrease in MHSAA member school enrollment. Boys participation rose 1.1% to 158,260, despite a 1.8% decrease in boys enrollment. Girls participation rose 0.7% to 112,377, while girls enrollment dipped 1.9% 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% 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 0.9% from the previous year.

Wrestling reported the largest increase in participation for the second-straight school year, this time by 12.8% with 11,814 athletes – and the rise again mostly attributable to the rapid growth in girls participation in the sport, which jumped another 39% with 1,216 wrestlers this past season. Girls tennis enjoyed the next largest participation jump, increasing 9.1% 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% to 17,325 competitors and boys 2.9% to 23,888. Boys lacrosse (up 3.9% to 5,236 athletes) and boys golf (up 3.3% to 7,222) also joined their girls counterparts in those sports in trending upward.

Boys soccer (up 5.1% to 13,953 athletes), girls competitive cheer (3.9% to 6,172) and football (11 and 8-player combined – 0.5% 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% with just one fewer participant than in 2022-23), girls soccer (-0.3%), girls volleyball (-0.8%), boys tennis (-1.2%, boys cross country (-1.3%) and girls softball (-1.5%). 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 its national participation survey. Results of Michigan surveys from the 2000-01 school year to present may be viewed on the MHSAA Website – www.mhsaa.com – by clicking on Schools > Administrators > Sports Participation Listing.