Logo courtesy of the WIAA
WIAA Participation Reaches All-Time High in 2017-18
August 25, 2018
RENTON, Wash. – High school athletics and activities participation in Washington was at an all-time high in 2017-18 according to the latest participation survey conducted by the WIAA and the National Federation of High Schools, which was released Friday. Washington high schools reported 175,783 students participated during the last school year, ranking 15th in the country.
Total girls participation was at 74,803, 14th among state associations while boys participation totaled 100,980, ranking 16th. The most popular boys sport remains football, with 23,282 students competing last season, up from 20,995 in 2016-17. The most popular girls sport was volleyball which saw 11,186 participants last season.
Boys sports saw increased participation in baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming and diving, tennis and wrestling. Girls sports saw an uptick in basketball, golf gymnastics, soccer and softball.
The number of participants in high school sports in 2017-18 reached an all-time record high of 7,979,986. The number of girls participating in high school sports reached an all-time high of 3,415,306, and boys participation also set a new standard at 4,564,680. While the number of additional participants this year (16,451) was not as substantial as the previous year (94,635), a steady increase in several boys and girls sports extended the streak to a record-breaking 29th year.
A full report for each state can be found at the NFHS website, along with archived results.
