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Lacrosse continues to expand 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 16 boys' and girls' HS sports in terms of schools and participation for 2011-2012 with comparable data for 2004-2011. Also see the graphs beneath the tables. Boys' lacrosse again placed 13th in sponsorship (number of schools) and 11th in participants (nmuber of athletes). Girls' lacrosse also finished 13th in sponsorship but was 10th in participation. Note: The NFHS's universe is limited, so there are about 1,100 boys' and 600 girls' lacrosse teams and their participants not included in the totals. In many states, the NFHS umbrella does not include all schools. High schools in states where lacrosse is not officially sanctioned are simply not reflected in NFHS figures. |
| B O Y S - S P O N S O R S H I P | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Schools | % Change | |||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 10 11 | 01 11 | |
| Basketball | 17,535 | 17,762 | 17,861 | 17,869 | 17,969 | 18,150 | 18,099 | -0.3% | 5.6% |
| Track & Field (outdoor) | 15,497 | 15,709 | 15,835 | 15,936 | 16,011 | 15,954 | 16,218 | 1.7% | 8.0% |
| Baseball | 15,290 | 15,458 | 15,720 | 15,699 | 15,786 | 15,863 | 15,838 | -0.2% | 7.1% |
| Football (11-player) | 13,727 | 13,922 | 13,987 | 14,105 | 14,226 | 14,279 | 14,241 | -0.3% | 5.8% |
| Cross Country | 13,110 | 13,354 | 13,485 | 13,647 | 13,942 | 14,097 | 14,155 | 0.4% | 15.6% |
| Golf | 13,267 | 13,541 | 13,647 | 13,543 | 13,693 | 13,681 | 13,624 | -0.4% | 6.3% |
| Soccer | 10,580 | 11,066 | 11,122 | 11,139 | 11,375 | 11,503 | 11,600 | 0.8% | 17.8% |
| Wrestling | 9,744 | 9,445 | 10,090 | 10,254 | 10,363 | 10,407 | 10,407 | 0.0% | 10.7% |
| Tennis | 9,706 | 9,438 | 9,576 | 9,499 | 9,916 | 9,839 | 9,841 | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Swimming & Diving | 6,224 | 6,358 | 6,428 | 6,558 | 6,820 | 6,899 | 7,001 | 1.5% | 29.7% |
| Track & Field (indoor) | 2,394 | 2,725 | 3,095 | 3,172 | 2,546 | 2,638 | 2,644 | 0.2% | 26.4% |
| Bowling | 1,954 | 2,089 | 2,261 | 2,427 | 2,451 | 2,454 | 2,467 | 0.5% | 210.7% |
| Lacrosse | 1,395 | 1,588 | 1,815 | 1,984 | 2,068 | 2,192 | 2,338 | 6.7% | 149.3% |
| Volleyball | 1,726 | 2,006 | 2,006 | 2,192 | 2,089 | 2,078 | 2,180 | 4.9% | 27.0% |
| Team Tennis | 1,138 | 1,543 | 1,342 | 1,832 | 1,419 | 1,414 | 1,857 | 31.3% | 143.1% |
| Ice Hockey | 1,503 | 1,576 | 1,564 | 1,601 | 1,611 | 1,612 | 1,596 | -1.0% | 21.2% |
| B O Y S - P A R T I C I P A T I O N (thousands) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Participants (Thousands) | % Change | |||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 10 11 | 01 11 | |
| Football (11-player) | 1071.8 | 1104.5 | 1108.3 | 1112.3 | 1109.3 | 1108.4 | 1096.0 | -1.1% | 8.3% |
| Track & Field (outdoor) | 534.0 | 544.2 | 548.8 | 558.0 | 572.1 | 579.3 | 575.6 | -0.6% | 17.0% |
| Basketball | 546.3 | 556.3 | 552.9 | 545.1 | 540.2 | 545.8 | 535.3 | -1.9% | -0.8% |
| Baseball | 470.7 | 477.3 | 478.0 | 473.2 | 472.6 | 471.0 | 474.2 | 0.7% | 5.3% |
| Soccer | 358.9 | 378.0 | 383.6 | 383.8 | 391.8 | 398.4 | 411.8 | 3.4% | 23.7% |
| Wrestling | 251.5 | 257.2 | 259.7 | 267.4 | 272.9 | 273.7 | 272.1 | -0.6% | 11.1% |
| Cross Country | 208.3 | 216.1 | 221.1 | 231.5 | 239.6 | 246.9 | 248.5 | 0.6% | 31.9% |
| Tennis | 153.0 | 156.9 | 156.3 | 157.2 | 162.8 | 161.4 | 159.8 | -1.0% | 11.2% |
| Golf | 161.3 | 159.7 | 160.0 | 157.1 | 157.8 | 156.9 | 152.7 | -2.6% | -5.6% |
| Swimming & Diving | 107.5 | 106.7 | 111.9 | 130.2 | 131.4 | 133.9 | 133.8 | -0.1% | 50.7% |
| Lacrosse | 65.0 | 71.5 | 82.9 | 88.5 | 90.7 | 95.7 | 100.6 | 5.2% | 140.6% |
| Track & Field (indoor) | 59.7 | 62.5 | 67.2 | 67.4 | 67.7 | 70.3 | 69.4 | -1.3% | 36.8% |
| Volleyball | 42.9 | 46.2 | 46.8 | 49.3 | 50.5 | 50.0 | 49.5 | -1.1% | 24.4% |
| Team Tennis | 20.6 | 23.6 | 27.1 | 33.4 | 28.9 | 28.4 | 36.2 | 27.3% | 201.7% |
| Ice Hockey | 36.3 | 36.0 | 36.7 | 37.3 | 36.5 | 36.9 | 35.7 | -3.2% | 8.0% |
| Bowling | 22.0 | 23.3 | 26.4 | 27.0 | 27.7 | 28.3 | 27.4 | -2.9% | 171.3% |
| G I R L S - S P O N S O R S H I P | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Schools | % Change | |||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 10 11 | 01 11 | |
| Basketball | 17,275 | 17,458 | 17,564 | 17,582 | 17,711 | 17,767 | 17,768 | 0.0% | 6.0% |
| Track & Field (outdoor) | 15,417 | 15,578 | 15,772 | 15,864 | 15,923 | 16,030 | 16,143 | 0.7% | 9.2% |
| Volleyball | 14,578 | 14,881 | 15,009 | 15,069 | 15,382 | 15,479 | 15,569 | 0.6% | 14.5% |
| Softball (fast pitch) | 14,710 | 14,968 | 14,846 | 15,172 | 15,298 | 15,338 | 14,142 | -7.8% | 16.1% |
| Cross Country | 12,989 | 13,146 | 13,294 | 13,457 | 13,809 | 13,839 | 13,970 | 0.9% | 19.0% |
| Soccer | 9,970 | 10,503 | 10,543 | 10,548 | 10,901 | 11,047 | 11,127 | 0.7% | 24.5% |
| Tennis | 9,816 | 9,678 | 9,694 | 9,732 | 10,166 | 10,181 | 10,058 | -1.2% | 4.7% |
| Golf | 8,816 | 9,046 | 9,447 | 9,344 | 9,651 | 9,609 | 9,667 | 0.6% | 27.5% |
| Swimming & Diving | 6,559 | 6,708 | 6,766 | 6,902 | 7,171 | 7,164 | 7,221 | 0.8% | 26.0% |
| Competitive Spirit | 3,914 | 3,743 | 4,510 | 4,748 | 4,879 | 4,266 | 4,916 | 15.2% | 46.7% |
| Track & Field (indoor) | 2,308 | 2,367 | 2,659 | 2,677 | 2,511 | 2,598 | 2,588 | -0.4% | 26.7% |
| Bowling | 1,871 | 2,012 | 2,321 | 2,345 | 2,435 | 2,436 | 2,451 | 0.6% | 183.7% |
| Lacrosse | 1,349 | 1,480 | 1,624 | 1,780 | 1,885 | 1,999 | 2,118 | 6.0% | 170.5% |
| Team Tennis | 1,178 | 1,588 | 1,383 | 1,881 | 1,442 | 1,457 | 1,894 | 30.0% | 108.6% |
| Field Hockey | 1,668 | 1,493 | 1,760 | 1,818 | 1,827 | 1,808 | 1,788 | -1.1% | 10.8% |
| Gymnastics | 1,484 | 1,516 | 1,454 | 1,495 | 1,518 | 1,506 | 1,495 | -0.7% | -2.2% |
| G I R L S - P A R T I C I P A T I O N (thousands) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Participants (Thousands) | % Change | |||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 10 11 | 01 11 | |
| Track & Field (outdoor) | 439.2 | 444.2 | 447.5 | 457.7 | 469.2 | 475.3 | 468.7 | -1.4% | 12.8% |
| Basketball | 452.9 | 457.0 | 449.5 | 444.8 | 439.6 | 438.9 | 435.9 | -0.7% | -3.7% |
| Volleyball | 390.0 | 405.8 | 398.0 | 404.2 | 404.0 | 409.3 | 418.9 | 2.3% | 7.2% |
| Soccer | 321.6 | 337.6 | 346.5 | 344.5 | 356.1 | 361.6 | 371.0 | 2.6% | 27.0% |
| Softball (fast pitch) | 369.1 | 373.4 | 371.3 | 368.9 | 378.2 | 373.5 | 367.0 | -1.7% | 4.8% |
| Cross Country | 176.0 | 183.4 | 190.3 | 198.2 | 202.0 | 204.7 | 212.3 | 3.7% | 33.9% |
| Tennis | 173.8 | 176.7 | 172.5 | 177.6 | 182.4 | 182.1 | 180.9 | -0.7% | 10.1% |
| Swimming & Diving | 147.4 | 143.6 | 147.2 | 158.9 | 158.4 | 160.9 | 160.5 | -0.3% | 14.9% |
| Competitive Spirit | 98.6 | 95.2 | 111.3 | 117.8 | 123.6 | 96.7 | 108.3 | 12.0% | 22.3% |
| Lacrosse | 52.0 | 54.8 | 61.1 | 64.9 | 68.8 | 74.9 | 75.0 | 0.1% | 131.4% |
| Golf | 64.2 | 66.3 | 69.2 | 69.2 | 70.9 | 71.8 | 71.1 | -0.9% | 19.4% |
| Field Hockey | 62.3 | 63.9 | 62.6 | 64.6 | 63.1 | 62.0 | 60.6 | -2.2% | -0.5% |
| Track & Field (indoor) | 58.1 | 56.1 | 59.8 | 59.9 | 60.1 | 60.4 | 60.0 | -0.7% | 33.4% |
| Team Tennis | 22.5 | 25.9 | 28.8 | 36.6 | 30.8 | 30.3 | 37.2 | 22.8% | 140.4% |
| Bowling | 20.1 | 20.9 | 25.4 | 23.8 | 24.9 | 25.8 | 25.3 | -1.6% | 133.4% |
| Gymnastics | 17.4 | 18.9 | 18.1 | 18.8 | 18.7 | 19.7 | 19.1 | -3.0% | -8.5% |
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