By Staff
EAST LANSING – Continuing its pattern of outperforming census figures, participation by girls in high school sports in Michigan during the 2006-07 school year again ranks fourth nationally, and participation rates in five sports moved up on the charts in figures released this week by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
For the fourth straight year, Michigan's girls participation rates held their own, staying ahead of more densely populated states like Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and trailing only the largest populated states of California, Texas and New York. Michigan's girls and overall participation rates were their second highest ever in 2006-07 – the girls numbers has set records for the four previous years, and the overall figure is coming off a streak of three consecutive record-setting seasons.
A total of 131,500 female participants took part in high school sports in Michigan last year, narrowly missing the record of 131,662 set the previous year; and overall participation was 313,093, barely topped by the all-time mark of 313,589 of 2005-06.
According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau figures, Michigan continues to rank eighth in both females and males of ages 14 through 17.
Participation in five sports – girls golf, girls competitive cheer, girls skiing, boys bowling and boys swimming and diving – all moved up one spot nationally in 2006-07.
Michigan now ranks second in boys bowling and girls skiing participation, and fourth in girls golf, girls competitive cheer and boys swimming and diving.
Other sports in which Michigan outperformed or matched its population figures in 2006-07 were girls bowling, boys skiing, girls tennis, and girls volleyball in third place nationally; girls and boys basketball, and boys tennis in fourth; girls and boys cross country, football, boys golf, girls swimming and diving, boys track and field, and wrestling in fifth; boys lacrosse, girls soccer and girls track and field in sixth; girls soccer in seventh; and baseball, and boys soccer finished eighth.
Girls lacrosse was ninth nationally and girls gymnastics was 11th.
Michigan's overall participation mark was again good for fifth place in 2006-07. Boys participation in the NFSH survey for the past year again ranked sixth.
National participation in high school sports in 2006-07 was up to 7,342,910, setting a new record; and girls participation topped the three million mark for the first time at 3,021,807.
Nationally, 54.2 percent of high school students participation in sports, in Michigan, that figure is 60.4 percent.