I guess I'll start a new thread since the other went astray.

 

I'll keep it simple.

 

NFHS says 10k less kids played football in 2014 than the previous year. My guess is 2013 had less than 2012 but I haven't looked it up.

 

CCH has their largest class of boys since the early 70s with about 170 kids. About 30 are playing football. That's probably the lowest number in a long, long time. For comparison my son's frosh class in the fall of 2001 had about 120 kids and about 50 to 60 on the football team.

 

I will assume other schools are seeing a decrease as well.

 

So, is this a concern? Is it just temporary OR are interests of kids shifting and are parents' concerns about injuries foretelling a trend?

 

This is NOT a soccer-bashing thread.

It's a very interesting subject and I would say it has to do with various factors in today's world, I haven't looked but I wonder if other sports are going through a same decline? Youth burnout? Fear or concussions? With the emphasis put on earning scholarships in today's society, sports are becoming more like a job for kids on the youth level which could be running a lot out and could be an answer if we continue to see smaller numbers over the years. On the surface 10,000 seems like a huge amount but in the grand scheme of kids playing football it's less than a 1% drop, I just hope it is not a trend that continues into the future for the game we all love.

My boy loved football,played it from 3rd grade thru Freshman. He had a couple of mild concussions. I don't know if that had any impact but he decided to quit and play golf and focus on baseball.

I'll bet anything it has to do with kids being lazy and not wanting to put down that Xbox controller. It probably has something to do with kids being scared too, but xbox games are killing kids.

I'll bet anything it has to do with kids being lazy and not wanting to put down that Xbox controller. It probably has something to do with kids being scared too, but xbox games are killing kids.

 

If your theory were true wouldn't we see a decline in all sports?

If your theory were true wouldn't we see a decline in all sports?

 

Not necessarily. What if it's just a population shift of athletes that are concentrating on individual sports rather than being a multi-sport athlete ? I do thing the youth of today or less inclined to be physically active and put themselves through the sport process. If you get the same rush from GTA or COD, in theory, isn't that much easier ?

If your theory were true wouldn't we see a decline in all sports?

 

I guess you've got a point. Maybe it's out of plain fear of football because of all this garbage posted about the "dangers" of football.

Not necessarily. What if it's just a population shift of athletes that are concentrating on individual sports rather than being a multi-sport athlete ? I do thing the youth of today or less inclined to be physically active and put themselves through the sport process. If you get the same rush from GTA or COD, in theory, isn't that much easier ?

 

Very well said, didn't think about it that way.

From '14 to '15

 

Football - down about 10k

Baseball - up about 4k

Basketball - down about 4k

Golf - down about 3k

Lacrosse - up about 5k

Soccer - up about 17k

Fastpitch - even

I posted this in the other thread & firmly believe these have a good deal to do with a shift at the high school level. It hits (or so I think) in the spectrum of what @NKYknowitall touched on.

 

-Everybody gets to kick the ball (much like basketball where everybody gets to touch and shoot it, and baseball everybody gets to bat).

 

-Uniform is shorts, t-shirt (when it's 90 in the shade as it is for most all of July, August and September, this sounds much more appealing)

 

-Play more games, practice less (easier, more fun. Who likes to practice a lot? Football practices more and plays less than soccer, basketball and baseball ever thinks about in this day and age. It's play, play, play in baseball, soccer and basketball)

 

-Off Season programs, grunt work, the "Grind" aren't what they are in football (easier). Their off-season programs are indoor soccer with more games and travel soccer in the spring-summer, more games and even less practice than in season. They aren't having organized lifting/running from January-July three to four days a week (or more), nor practicing for a month in that off season (football spring practice) & still not playing a game. **I fully understand there are those who put in their dues during off season strength & agility, but I think you know what I mean big picture**

 

-Most think it's safer when as it's been pointed out is just hear say.

 

It won't take over football, but I get why the numbers are going up & when you look at it, even compare the two, it looks a lot more fun to a good amount of kids. I get it.

The commitment level of HS football is becoming such that many that don't have next level aspirations or ability stop participating.

i do not think kids are any lazier than they ever were. i do believe less kids are playing football because of the risk of concussion (parents perception as well). I bet similar studies would show an increase in baseball (several years ago on the decline) and basketball. However, it is tough to measure since baseball and basketball teams "tryout" and football does not.

The commitment level of HS football is becoming such that many that don't have next level aspirations or ability stop participating.

 

Completely agree. More specifically, the type of commitment level. That whole practice more (a lot more) and play less (a lot less) than some of these other sports, in this case it's soccer is having an effect.

Completely agree. More specifically, the type of commitment level. That whole practice more (a lot more) and play less (a lot less) than some of these other sports, in this case it's soccer is having an effect.

 

I think that goes both ways. Some kids would rather play one night a week. Seems like a natural shift considering the horrible press football is getting right now.

I think that goes both ways. Some kids would rather play one night a week. Seems like a natural shift considering the horrible press football is getting right now.

 

I agree.

 

I should have directed that towards the umbrella of practice (actual practice, off season lifting, running, etc). 9-10 months of 3-5 day a week grunt work for only 10 guaranteed (and, even less for JV/Freshmen) two hour slots a year.