Sports High school sports compete for students’ time BY DAVID PAN REPORTER @ YOURBEACON . NET
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tudents benefit in many ways by being involved in extracurricular activities at school. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), which oversees athletics and fine arts for nearly 800 member public and private schools in Washington, cites a number of studies to bolster its case that “Activities Matter.” One study concluded that those who participate in sports or other organized programs attend, on average, 21 more days of school than students not involved in activities. Research has also found that participation in interscholastic programs is associated with decreased high school dropout rates. While some parents may not have viewed sports as a positive use of time in the past, research suggests tangible benefits that extend beyond physical fitness. A study found that 67 percent of high school students who earned mostly A’s reported playing for at least one sports
team. An online survey by Harris Insights and Analytics concluded that students who participated in interscholastic athletics were 19 percent more likely to go on to some level of higher education. Research also concluded that for female athletes, playing high school sports increased their odds for graduating college by 41 percent compared to non-athletes. So given the mounting evidence of the benefits of extracurricular activities, such as athletics, are high school students taking advantage of these opportunities? Unlike their parents, today’s teenagers are being constantly pulled in different directions – from their families, friends, jobs, different school clubs and activities, other forms of entertainment, obligations from select teams and just an overall societal shift away from sports. Even in the face of all of these other activities, the overall numbers of students who participate in high school athletics generally remain steady. Not surprisingly, the most obvious decline in numbers is in football.
The potential long-term effects of concussions and other injuries associated with the sport seems to have contributed to less interest in football. In 2015, Kamiak High School had 115 athletes participating in football. Since then, the numbers have declined to 110 in 2016, 85 in 2017 and 58 in 2018. Some of the drastic change in numbers from 2017 to 2018 likely was due to the retirement of longtime coach Dan Mack, who stepped down after 20 years at the helm of the program. Mariner had 100 players out for football in 2015, 95 in 2016, 95 in 2017 and 75 in 2018. In the last four years, Edmonds-Woodway’s football numbers have been 105, 93, 83 and 76, while Meadowdale saw its numbers drop from 109, 85, 75 to 72. Edmonds-Woodway athletic coordinator Angie McGuire speculated that specialization might be contributing to the lower football numbers. For many years, McGuire noted, football was the kind of sport that, even if it wasn’t the main sport for a particular athlete, he still
2019 BEACON GUIDE – PROGRESS EDITION 19