Sports are a familiar and traditional part of high schools in the U.S. They build (or reveal) character and yield numerous social, emotional, and cognitive benefits. But while we may think of high school sports as providing opportunities to all students, a new Pennsylvania study suggests that access to athletic opportunities varies widely between districts.
In the highly-rated Fairview School District, 36% of students played sports in the 2024-25 season. Nearby in Erie City Schools, only 5% of students played. In Philadelphia City Schools, 9.6% of students played sports; right next door in wealthy Springfield School District, the percentage was 34.4%.
“Unlevel Playing Fields,” a new report from Research for Action, sifts through data from every district in the state, resulting a several key findings.
Athletic opportunities vary considerably between districts. RFA found from 5% up to 60% participation rates.
The report finds that differences in district participation rates are connected to other district characteristics. The lowest levels of participation in high school athletics were found in urban districts with large high schools, large proportions of students of color, and large funding gaps.
83% of urban districts fell into the Very Low participation category, with no urban districts falling into the Very High, High, or even Moderate ranges.
The largest level of athletic participation was found in rural districts, followed by town and then suburban districts. Participation was also inversely related to percentage of students of color.
The gap also correlates directly with district spending. The more a districts spends per pupil on athletics, the higher the participation rate. There is a huge gap between the top and bottom, from a low of $11 per pupil all the way up to $6,371. On average, low participation districts spend around $409 per student athlete and very high participation districts spent an average of $939.
Across all districts and all subgroups, sports participation was higher for boys than for girls. Title IX, passed in 1972, requires schools to provide equal opportunities for boys and girls, but does not require schools to provide the same number of boys and girls sports.
The report does not delve into the growing world of private youth sports programs, a multi-billion dollar industry that has attracted the attention of venture capital firms. In many communities, groups from the local YMCA to private companies like the USA Sport Group provide additional athletic opportunities– though usually at additional cost.
The report also notes that it lacked data to evaluate the quality of the various programs. High school sports programs can vary widely in quality, often at the mercy of available coaching staff, a factor that may fall outside of the district’s control.
On their website, Research for Action offers an interactive map that allows readers to check data for each Pennsylvania district.
Research for Action was founded in 1992 as a non-partisan education research organization. Over the years since, they have moved from Philadelphia-focused research to studies with state and national insights, following the groups aim “to make substantial contributions to ensuring that our education systems are more just, effective, and accessible.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
