I'm a statistics geek. Give me some numbers and percentages and I'm all over it. And as the editor of a magazine that focuses on sports travel, it's even more fascinating when those numbers apply to your subject matter.
That's why I was especially glad to see hard evidence that more kids than ever are playing high school sports. The best news of all? It's a trend that has been going strong for two decades now.
In its annual High School Athletics Participation Survey, the National Federation for State High School Associations (NFHS) notes that participation in high school sports increased for the 22nd consecutive school year in 2010-11. The survey recorded a total number of 7,667,955 kids playing sports, an increase of 39,578 over the previous year. It was based on annual figures provided by the 50 state high school athletic/activity associations, plus the District of Columbia, that are members of the NFHS.
This is excellent news for those of us in the sports travel and planning industry. It means more kids are enrolling in sports and staying there for their entire high school journey. It also means that in addition to representing their schools during the academic year, there is more of an off-season demand for skills clinics, camps and sports programs. Another bonus? It translates into more interested parents, family members and friends who will attend games as spectators -- including games requiring travel. No matter how you look at it, the whole industry wins.
Just for once, aren't you glad you work in today's economy?
