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Lacrosse may still not challenge the top 10 sports in terms of high school participation, but it is certainly growing rapidly when most sports are not. And lacrosse is among the fastest growing sports that are in the top 15 in popularity. Data on school sponsorship and student participation are compiled annually by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). The tables below, which are also available as PDF files to facilitate printing (sponsorship and participation), show in most cases the top 15 boys' and girls' HS sports in terms of schools and participation for 2005-06 with comparable data for 2001-2005. Also see the graphs beneath the tables. For both boys and girls, lacrosse is the second most rapidly growing sport (after bowling) in percentage terms for school sponsorship and student participation. In both cases, there isn't a close third. |
| B O Y S - S P O N S O R S H I P | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Schools | % Change | ||||||||||
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 01 02 | 02 03 | 03 04 | 04 05 | 05 05 | 01 06 | |
| Basketball | 17,135 | 17,135 | 17,333 | 17,389 | 17,482 | 17,535 | 0.0% | 1.2% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 2.3% |
| Track & Field (outdoor) | 15,016 | 15,261 | 15,195 | 15,221 | 15,294 | 15,497 | 1.6% | -0.4% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1.3% | 3.2% |
| Baseball | 14,791 | 14,924 | 14,988 | 14,984 | 15,161 | 15,290 | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 1.2% | 0.9% | 3.4% |
| Football (11-player) | 13,454 | 13,509 | 13,642 | 13,680 | 13,671 | 13,727 | 0.4% | 1.0% | 0.3% | -0.1% | 0.4% | 2.0% |
| Golf | 12,812 | 13,031 | 13,120 | 12,921 | 13,152 | 13,267 | 1.7% | 0.7% | -1.5% | 1.8% | 0.9% | 3.6% |
| Cross Country | 12,245 | 12,456 | 12,574 | 12,649 | 12,727 | 13,110 | 1.7% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 3.0% | 7.1% |
| Soccer | 9,846 | 9,903 | 10,103 | 10,219 | 10,392 | 10,580 | 0.6% | 2.0% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 7.5% |
| Wrestling | 9,404 | 9,578 | 9,543 | 9,526 | 9,562 | 9,744 | 1.9% | -0.4% | -0.2% | 0.4% | 1.9% | 3.6% |
| Tennis | 9,767 | 9,365 | 9,411 | 9,427 | 9,426 | 9,706 | -4.1% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 3.0% | -0.6% |
| Swimming & Diving | 5,396 | 5,540 | 5,588 | 5,758 | 5,878 | 6,224 | 2.7% | 0.9% | 3.0% | 2.1% | 5.9% | 15.3% |
| Track & Field (indoor) | 2,092 | 2,242 | 2,135 | 2,185 | 2,295 | 2,394 | 7.2% | -4.8% | 2.3% | 5.0% | 4.3% | 14.4% |
| Bowling | 794 | 1,046 | 1,281 | 1,477 | 1,768 | 1,954 | 31.7% | 22.5% | 15.3% | 19.7% | 10.5% | 146.1% |
| Volleyball | 1,716 | 1,804 | 1,650 | 1,683 | 1,688 | 1,726 | 5.1% | -8.5% | 2.0% | 0.3% | 2.3% | 0.6% |
| Ice Hockey | 1,317 | 1,395 | 1,427 | 1,467 | 1,474 | 1,503 | 5.9% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 0.5% | 2.0% | 14.1% |
| Lacrosse | 938 | 992 | 1,107 | 1,156 | 1,334 | 1,395 | 5.8% | 11.6% | 4.4% | 15.4% | 4.6% | 48.7% |
| B O Y S - P A R T I C I P A T I O N | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Partipants (thousands) | % Change | ||||||||||
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 01 02 | 02 03 | 03 04 | 04 05 | 05 05 | 01 06 | |
| Football (11-player) | 1012.4 | 1023.7 | 1023.1 | 1032.7 | 1045.5 | 1071.8 | 1.1% | -0.1% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 2.5% | 5.9% |
| Basketball | 539.8 | 540.6 | 540.9 | 544.8 | 545.5 | 546.3 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Track & Field (outdoor) | 491.8 | 494.0 | 498.0 | 504.8 | 516.7 | 534.0 | 0.4% | 0.8% | 1.4% | 2.4% | 3.3% | 8.6% |
| Baseball | 450.5 | 451.7 | 453.8 | 457.1 | 459.7 | 470.7 | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 2.4% | 4.5% |
| Soccer | 332.9 | 339.1 | 345.2 | 349.8 | 354.6 | 358.9 | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 7.8% |
| Wrestling | 245.0 | 244.6 | 239.8 | 238.7 | 243.0 | 251.5 | -0.1% | -2.0% | -0.5% | 1.8% | 3.5% | 2.7% |
| Cross Country | 188.4 | 191.0 | 191.8 | 196.4 | 201.7 | 208.3 | 1.4% | 0.4% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 10.6% |
| Golf | 161.8 | 163.3 | 162.8 | 163.3 | 161.0 | 161.3 | 1.0% | -0.3% | 0.3% | -1.4% | 0.2% | -0.3% |
| Tennis | 143.7 | 139.5 | 144.8 | 152.9 | 148.5 | 153.0 | -2.9% | 3.8% | 5.6% | -2.9% | 3.0% | 6.5% |
| Swimming & Diving | 88.8 | 90.7 | 94.6 | 96.6 | 103.8 | 107.5 | 2.1% | 4.3% | 2.1% | 7.4% | 3.6% | 21.0% |
| Lacrosse | 41.8 | 46.2 | 50.0 | 53.4 | 60.0 | 65.0 | 10.5% | 8.2% | 6.9% | 12.3% | 8.4% | 55.5% |
| Track & Field (indoor) | 50.7 | 52.0 | 51.9 | 51.9 | 56.6 | 59.7 | 2.5% | -0.1% | 0.0% | 9.1% | 5.4% | 17.7% |
| Volleyball | 39.8 | 40.6 | 39.3 | 40.1 | 41.6 | 42.9 | 2.0% | -3.1% | 2.0% | 3.9% | 3.0% | 7.8% |
| Ice Hockey | 33.1 | 34.7 | 35.2 | 36.2 | 37.0 | 36.3 | 4.7% | 1.7% | 2.7% | 2.3% | -2.0% | 9.6% |
| Bowling | 10.1 | 12.6 | 16.0 | 17.7 | 20.5 | 22.0 | 24.5% | 27.0% | 10.3% | 16.3% | 7.0% | 117.1% |
| G I R L S - S P O N S O R S H I P | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Schools | % Change | ||||||||||
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 01 02 | 02 03 | 03 04 | 04 05 | 05 05 | 01 06 | |
| Basketball | 16,756 | 16,851 | 17,028 | 17,061 | 17,175 | 17,275 | 0.6% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 3.1% |
| Track & Field (outdoor) | 14,789 | 15,151 | 15,032 | 15,089 | 15,213 | 15,417 | 2.4% | -0.8% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 4.2% |
| Softball (fast pitch) | 12,177 | 13,807 | 14,007 | 14,181 | 14,493 | 14,710 | 13.4% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 20.8% |
| Volleyball | 13,597 | 14,083 | 14,244 | 14,181 | 14,526 | 14,578 | 3.6% | 1.1% | -0.4% | 2.4% | 0.4% | 7.2% |
| Cross Country | 11,736 | 11,976 | 12,083 | 12,235 | 12,345 | 12,989 | 2.0% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 5.2% | 10.7% |
| Soccer | 8,934 | 9,186 | 9,299 | 9,490 | 9,695 | 9,970 | 2.8% | 1.2% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 2.8% | 11.6% |
| Tennis | 9,606 | 9,378 | 9,332 | 9,559 | 9,646 | 9,816 | -2.4% | -0.5% | 2.4% | 0.9% | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| Golf | 7,581 | 7,754 | 8,106 | 8,171 | 8,249 | 8,816 | 2.3% | 4.5% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 6.9% | 16.3% |
| Swimming & Diving | 5,733 | 5,935 | 6,120 | 6,176 | 6,238 | 6,559 | 3.5% | 3.1% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 5.1% | 14.4% |
| Competitive Spirit | 3,352 | 4,245 | 4,644 | 3,693 | 3,482 | 3,914 | 26.6% | 9.4% | -20.5% | -5.7% | 12.4% | 16.8% |
| Track & Field (indoor) | 2,042 | 2,141 | 2,080 | 2,096 | 2,220 | 2,308 | 4.8% | -2.8% | 0.8% | 5.9% | 4.0% | 13.0% |
| Field Hockey | 1,613 | 1,646 | 1,594 | 1,634 | 1,684 | 1,668 | 2.0% | -3.2% | 2.5% | 3.1% | -1.0% | 3.4% |
| Bowling | 864 | 1,061 | 1,176 | 1,467 | 1,676 | 1,871 | 22.8% | 10.8% | 24.7% | 14.2% | 11.6% | 116.6% |
| Gymnastics | 1,529 | 1,548 | 1,593 | 1,475 | 1,430 | 1,484 | 1.2% | 2.9% | -7.4% | -3.1% | 3.8% | -2.9% |
| Lacrosse | 783 | 819 | 976 | 1,176 | 1,270 | 1,349 | 4.6% | 19.2% | 20.5% | 8.0% | 6.2% | 72.3% |
| G I R L S - P A R T I C I P A T I O N | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Partipants (thousands) | % Change | ||||||||||
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 01 02 | 02 03 | 03 04 | 04 05 | 05 05 | 01 06 | |
| Basketball | 452.7 | 456.2 | 457.2 | 458.0 | 456.5 | 452.9 | 0.8% | 0.2% | 0.2% | -0.3% | -0.8% | 0.0% |
| Track & Field (outdoor) | 415.7 | 415.7 | 415.6 | 418.3 | 428.2 | 439.2 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.7% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 5.7% |
| Volleyball | 390.8 | 395.1 | 396.7 | 396.3 | 386.0 | 390.0 | 1.1% | 0.4% | -0.1% | -2.6% | 1.0% | -0.2% |
| Softball (fast pitch) | 350.2 | 356.0 | 357.9 | 362.5 | 364.8 | 369.1 | 1.6% | 0.5% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 5.4% |
| Soccer | 292.1 | 295.3 | 301.5 | 309.0 | 316.1 | 321.6 | 1.1% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 10.1% |
| Cross Country | 158.5 | 160.2 | 163.4 | 166.3 | 170.5 | 176.0 | 1.0% | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.5% | 3.2% | 11.0% |
| Tennis | 164.3 | 160.1 | 162.8 | 167.8 | 169.3 | 173.8 | -2.5% | 1.7% | 3.0% | 0.9% | 2.6% | 5.8% |
| Swimming & Diving | 139.6 | 141.2 | 141.5 | 144.6 | 148.2 | 147.4 | 1.2% | 0.2% | 2.2% | 2.5% | -0.5% | 5.6% |
| Competitive Spirit | 88.6 | 94.6 | 111.2 | 89.4 | 84.4 | 98.6 | 6.9% | 17.5% | -19.6% | -5.6% | 16.8% | 11.3% |
| Golf | 59.5 | 59.9 | 62.2 | 63.2 | 64.2 | 64.2 | 0.6% | 3.8% | 1.6% | 1.7% | -0.1% | 7.8% |
| Field Hockey | 60.9 | 60.7 | 61.1 | 62.0 | 63.0 | 62.3 | -0.3% | 0.5% | 1.5% | 1.6% | -1.1% | 2.3% |
| Track & Field (indoor) | 45.0 | 46.4 | 47.3 | 46.6 | 51.9 | 58.1 | 3.2% | 1.9% | -1.4% | 11.2% | 12.1% | 29.3% |
| Lacrosse | 32.4 | 35.2 | 38.9 | 43.1 | 48.1 | 52.0 | 8.6% | 10.5% | 10.8% | 11.6% | 8.1% | 60.4% |
| Bowling | 10.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 16.2 | 18.7 | 20.1 | 20.0% | 6.6% | 16.6% | 15.6% | 7.6% | 85.4% |
| Gymnastics | 20.9 | 21.0 | 21.1 | 19.9 | 19.1 | 17.4 | 0.7% | 0.5% | -5.7% | -4.1% | -8.8% | -16.5% |
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