Nick Desjarden of Big Bay de Noc takes a corner kick during a game against Grand Marais at Big Bay de Noc Schools on October 10, 2023.

EAST LANSING – Participation in Michigan High School Athletic Association-sponsored sports increased for the third consecutive year in the 2023-24 school year – this time by nearly one percent – and held steady despite another two percent decline in enrollment at the MHSAA’s 754 member high schools.

A total of 270,664 participants were counted in the 28 sports for which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments — a 0.97 percent increase from 2022-23 and despite a 1.8 percent decline in enrollment at MHSAA member schools. Boys’ participation increased 1.1 percent to 158,260, despite a 1.8 percent decline in boys’ enrollment. Girls’ participation increased 0.7 percent to 112,377, while girls’ enrollment decreased 1.9 percent from the previous school year.

MHSAA participation numbers count students once for each sport they participate in, meaning students who play multiple sports are counted more than once. The boys’ total for 2023-24 was the highest since 2018-19, ahead of the sharp decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020-21 school year.

Only 11 sports saw an increase in participation in 2023-24 — compared to 18 sports that saw an increase between 2021-22 and 2022-23. However, two sports set participation records last school year. Girls’ golf featured 3,936 athletes, a 6.2% increase from the previous year and the highest number of participants for the sport since 2002-03. Girls’ lacrosse broke its 2019-20 record with 3,245 athletes, a 0.9% increase from the previous year.

Wrestling saw the largest increase in participation for the second school year in a row, this time up 12.8% with 11,814 athletes – and again, the increase is largely due to the rapidly growing number of girls, who increased another 39% last season with 1,216 wrestlers. The next largest increase in participation was girls tennis, with an increase of 9.1% with 8,911 athletes, the highest increase in the sport since 2018-19.

For both girls and boys, track and field participation increased for the third year in a row, with girls up 5.2% to 17,325 and boys up 2.9% to 23,888. Lacrosse (up 3.9% to 5,236 athletes) and golf (up 3.3% to 7,222) also saw an upward trend, along with girls.

There were also increases in boys soccer (up 5.1% to 13,953 athletes), girls cheerleading (up 3.9% to 6,172) and football (11 and 8 combined — up 0.5% to 35,174). Football remains the most played sport statewide, with more than 11,000 more athletes than the next highest, boys track and field, and the 2023-24 football total was the highest for the sport since 2018-19. Boys basketball (20,199 participants), girls volleyball (19,119) and girls track and field ranked third through fifth among the state’s most played sports last school year.

Although 17 sports saw lower participation in 2023-24 than the previous year, the declines in five were smaller than the overall enrollment decline of 1.8 percent at member schools — boys’ ice hockey (-0.03%, with just one fewer participant than in 2022-23), girls’ soccer (-0.3%), girls’ volleyball (-0.8%), boys’ tennis (-1.2%), boys’ cross country (-1.3%) and girls’ softball (-1.5%). Girls’ cross country narrowly missed that mark, with a decline of just 1.9 percent from the previous year.

Participation numbers are collected annually by MHSAA member schools and submitted to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for use in creating its national participation survey. Results from Michigan’s surveys from the 2000-01 school year to the present can be viewed on the MHSAA website – www.mhsaa.com – by clicking on Schools > Administrators > Sports Participation Listings.