Girls high school sports participation in California continues to grow according to the 2012 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sports Participation Survey. Up by 1.4 percent since the previous survey in 2011, an additional 4,183 female student-athletes are competing in California high school athletic programs. Overall, participation in high school sports in California is up slightly (0.01 percent) from the previous year with 757,850 boys and girls combined participating.
"The CIF has a proud heritage of leading equitable athletic competition for high schools throughout California," said CIF Executive Director Roger Blake. "With it being the 40th anniversary of Title IX it's only fitting that we see continued growth in girls' sports participation."
Despite the overall participation increases in high school athletic programs, boys' high school sports participation decreased by 0.9 percent (4,066) from 2011. Collectively, track and field experienced the largest decrease dropping 4.4 percent for both boys and girls for a combined 4,501 less participants (3,603 or 6.2 percent decrease for boys; 898 or 2.0 percent decrease for girls). However, basketball saw the largest increase, 4.1 percent for both boys and girls for a combined 3,101 new participants (813 or 1.9 percent increase for boys; 2,294 or 7.0 percent increase for girls).
Football continues to lead the top 10 boys' sports with 103,088 participants, followed by track and field (54,319) and soccer (47,753), which increased participation by 1.4 percent since 2011; basketball (43,989) and baseball (43,236) round out the top five boys' sports.
For girls, track and field continues reign as the top 10 sport with 43,727 participants. Soccer still trails a close second (43,391) followed by volleyball (40,472), which increased participation by 3.4 percent since 2011, basketball (35,133) and softball (32,659).
The CIF's 1,527 member schools participated in the survey as part of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) nationwide survey that measures the number of students competing in sports in the country.
"The CIF has a proud heritage of leading equitable athletic competition for high schools throughout California," said CIF Executive Director Roger Blake. "With it being the 40th anniversary of Title IX it's only fitting that we see continued growth in girls' sports participation."
Despite the overall participation increases in high school athletic programs, boys' high school sports participation decreased by 0.9 percent (4,066) from 2011. Collectively, track and field experienced the largest decrease dropping 4.4 percent for both boys and girls for a combined 4,501 less participants (3,603 or 6.2 percent decrease for boys; 898 or 2.0 percent decrease for girls). However, basketball saw the largest increase, 4.1 percent for both boys and girls for a combined 3,101 new participants (813 or 1.9 percent increase for boys; 2,294 or 7.0 percent increase for girls).
Football continues to lead the top 10 boys' sports with 103,088 participants, followed by track and field (54,319) and soccer (47,753), which increased participation by 1.4 percent since 2011; basketball (43,989) and baseball (43,236) round out the top five boys' sports.
For girls, track and field continues reign as the top 10 sport with 43,727 participants. Soccer still trails a close second (43,391) followed by volleyball (40,472), which increased participation by 3.4 percent since 2011, basketball (35,133) and softball (32,659).
The CIF's 1,527 member schools participated in the survey as part of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) nationwide survey that measures the number of students competing in sports in the country.
