High school sports participation has reached unprecedented levels in the United States. According to the NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 8,260,891 students competed in athletics during the 2024-25 school year — the highest total in history.
The figure marks an increase of 198,589 participants from the previous year, topping the previous record of 8,062,302 set in 2023-24. Both boys (4,723,907) and girls (3,536,984) posted record highs, based on data from all 51 NFHS member state associations, including the District of Columbia.
The 2024-25 total also represents the third straight year of strong growth since the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, participation has increased by 642,837 students in three years, reversing declines that began just before the shutdowns.
“It is wonderful to see the interest in high school sports reach new heights,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. “The immense value of high school sports is reflected in these impressive numbers. As high school students have consistently demonstrated their desire to play with their peers and represent their schools and community, state and school administrators have stepped up to offer more participation opportunities to meet that demand.”
The sharpest gains were seen on the girls side, where flag football and wrestling posted record numbers.
Boys wrestling also enjoyed a rebound, gaining 8,340 athletes to surpass 300,000 participants for the first time.
Emerging programs also experienced steady growth. Unified Sports saw a jump from 51,502 participants in 2023-24 to 70,006 athletes last year, while Esports climbed to 30,440 students, an increase of nearly 3,000.
Traditional team sports remain strong for girls, with several showing additional gains:
- Outdoor Track & Field – 513,808
- Volleyball – 492,799 (up 2.85%)
- Soccer – 393,048 (up 2.38%)
- Basketball – 356,240
- Softball – 331,306
- Competitive Spirit – 206,262 (up nearly 14%)
- Tennis – 204,721 (up 4%)
- Cross Country – 189,260
- Swimming & Diving – 138,303
- Lacrosse – 99,292
The top 10 boys sports remained stable while still recording gains:
- 11-Player Football – 1,031,039
- Outdoor Track & Field – 644,235
- Basketball – 540,704
- Soccer – 484,908
- Baseball – 472,598
- Wrestling – 300,214
- Cross Country – 238,685
- Golf – 162,357
- Tennis – 158,667
- Swimming & Diving – 119,102
Texas (879,403) and California (852,575) once again led the nation in total participation. Rounding out the top 10 were:
- Ohio – 335,808
- Pennsylvania – 333,123
- Illinois – 328,362
- New York – 327,068
- Florida – 308,396
- Michigan – 298,246
- Florida – 308,396
- New Jersey – 281,971
- Minnesota – 232,347
The NFHS report underscores how strongly high school athletics have rebounded from the pandemic-era decline. With record-setting participation across both boys and girls sports, plus growth in emerging programs like flag football, wrestling, Unified Sports, and Esports, opportunities for student-athletes have never been greater.
Would you like me to also add graphics/charts suggestions (like a bar chart of girls flag football growth or a state-by-state map of participation) so this article can run with strong visuals?
