Sports Illustrated is one of my favorite publications for its dramatic photos, great writing and long-form journalism. Player profiles dig deeper than just reporting on-field accomplishments and are really mini biographies. Behind-the-scenes game stories report emotions and insights that are invisible while watching the event on TV or even in the stands. Well-researched investigations expose corruption and abuse at all levels of sports.
Usually SI sticks to the entertainment and business aspects of sports. But a recent issue drifted into the world of politics.
Two events inspired a closer look at high school football. First, Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck announced he’s retiring at age 29 after several seasons of injuries, leaving behind years of playing and millions of dollars.
Then a new study from the National Federation of State High School Associations released its annual report for 2018-19. The report found for the first time in 30 years, participation in high school sports declined.
The two biggest contributors to the decline were football and basketball. The nationwide participation in football dropped to the lowest number since the 1999-2000 school year, according to the report.
And that was the statistical starting point for the Sports Illustrated trip into the land of politics.
The reporter looked at the state-by-state participation numbers and concluded participation mirrors the red state-blue state partisan divide.
Football participation is up in four “red” states – Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Utah – all states that voted for Donald Trump by at least 18 percentage points.
Of states that voted for Hillary Clinton, only Nevada and Washington, D.C., have seen football participation rates rise in the last 10 years.
According to SI and the high school report, football participation in red states was down 6.1 percent compared with a drop of 15.7 percent in blue states.
How much has the concussion debate and concern about long-lasting injuries affected football participation? Seventy-five years ago, boxing was one of the three most popular sports. It’s now a niche sport.
In Minnesota, compared with other sports, football remains popular. The report says 23,185 students played football – that’s about 18 percent of all boys in sports. There were more participants 10 years ago, but football’s share of players, 20 percent back then, hasn’t changed much.
Fans certainly haven’t turned away from the game, at least at the professional level. According to SI, the NFL’s TV ratings rose 5 percent last year and 46 of the top 50 telecasts during 2018 season belonged to the league.
For Minnesota sports fans, there are the Vikings and then far below, everyone else. The Twins appear headed for postseason play, the Wild continually sell out even while not making the playoffs and the Lynx won four WNBA championships in the last 10 years. But only Vikings games bring the state to a halt. If you ventured away from a TV during last Sunday’s game at Green Bay, you found empty streets and stores.
Perhaps the football numbers have less to do with the red state-blue state divide than with demographics or choices.
“We know from recent surveys the number of kids involved in youth sports has been declining, and a decline in the number of public school students has been predicted for a number of years, so we knew our ‘streak’ might end someday,” said Karissa Niehoff, NFHS executive director. “While we recognize the decline in football participation is due, in part, to concerns about the risk of injury, we continue to work with our member state associations, the nation’s high schools and other groups to make the sport as safe as possible.”
Other sports are seeing increases, according to the report. Participation in girls lacrosse and boys lacrosse has increased 19 percent since 2012 with a combined 213,452 participants in 2018-19. Girls and boys soccer gained 70,668 participants since 2012 (a 9 percent increase) and now has a combined 853,182 participants nationwide.
Twenty years ago, soccer programs were just getting established and in the last 10 years, lacrosse slowly moved from club status to an approved high school sport. The high school associations’ data goes back to 1969 and in those early years there are many blank spots in the charts for those and other sports because there were no teams.
Maybe SI is correct…that politics, culture and geography drive football participation. But today’s student athletes have many more choices and concern for injury certainly affects those choices.