Tag: Participation

Colorado Girls High School Tennis Has Strong Foundation

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Between the 1999/2000 and 2014/2015 academic years the number of Colorado girls high school tennis programs in Colorado ranged from 110 to 153, with the peak coming in 2014/2015. This increase comes after declines in the two previous seasons. The range of the number of boys and girls programs was similar during these 15 years.

colorado girls high school tennis

For this period, there has been a wide range of participation in girls programs. Interestingly, there is a solid correlation between the number of girls programs and the number of participants. That was not the case with the boys tennis. Over this period the annualized rate of growth in participation is 2.4%.

At its peak in 2008/2009, there were 4,901 participants. The number of participants has since trended downwards, for no obvious reason.

The lowest number of participants during this period occurred in 1999/2000.

colorado girls high school tennis

Between 1999 and 2015 the Colorado population increased by from 4.2 million to 5.4 million. This is a gain of 1.2 million people, at an annualized rate of 1.7%.

The number of females between the ages of 15 and 19 increased from 144,081 in 1999 to 176,661 in 2015. This is a gain of 32,580, at an annualized rate of 1.4%. It appears that girls tennis is growing at a much higher rate than the population of females in the 15-19 year range.

Over the past three years the average number of players per program has been about 30 students.

colorado girls high school tennis

There are a number of factors that are a challenge to girls high school tennis in Colorado such as the lack of quality coaches and adequate funding and facilities. Nationally, tennis is growing at an annualized rate less than the rate of growth in the U.S. population, (less than 1.0%). Probably the biggest challenge is that girls tennis in Colorado is a spring sport and the weather in the spring is often windy, cold, and wet.

On the other hand, many girls participate in programs because the season is short, most players are recreation level players, and many programs emphasize the social aspect of the sport.

Colorado girls tennis has a strong foundation and should continue to grow.

Source: NFHS.

Top Sports in Colorado for High School Girls

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What were the top sports for high school girl athletes in Colorado in 2014?

Data from the National Federal of State High School Athletic Associations (NFHS), https://www.nfhs.org/, shows that the top sports for girls, from an athletic director’s perspective, are basketball, volleyball, track and field, cross-country, and soccer. More than 300 Colorado schools have basketball, volleyball, and track and field programs and greater than 200 schools have cross-country, and soccer programs.

At the bottom of the list are field hockey and alpine and cross-country ski programs.

Sport Number of Schools with Programs
Basketball 329
Volleyball 318
Track and Field — Outdoor 302
Cross Country 230
Soccer 213
Competitive Spirit Squad 190
Softball — Fast Pitch 178
Golf 164
Tennis 153
Swimming & Diving 153
Lacrosse 81
Gymnastics 66
Skiing — Alpine 14
Skiing — Cross Country 14
Field Hockey 13

Top Sports in Colorado - Volleyball

From the athlete’s perspective the ranking is much different. Volleyball is overwhelmingly the most popular sport followed by soccer, track and field, basketball, and tennis.

Alpine and cross-country ski programs are clearly at the bottom.

Sport Number of Participants
Volleyball 9,097
Soccer 7,623
Track and Field — Outdoor 7,334
Basketball 7,089
Competitive Spirit Squad 4,810
Tennis 4,552
Swimming & Diving 4,142
Cross Country 3,957
Softball — Fast Pitch 3,724
Lacrosse 1,604
Golf 1,514
Field Hockey 592
Gymnastics 543
Skiing — Alpine 151
Skiing — Cross Country 100

The data showed there are 175 girls participating in boy’s wrestling, baseball, football (11,8, and 6 player), and Ice hockey. There were 85 in wrestling and 42 in baseball.

Football, Basketball, and Track – Top Sports in Colorado

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What were the top sports in Colorado for boys in high school during the 2014 season?

Data from the National Federal of State High School Athletic Associations (NFHS), https://www.nfhs.org/, shows that the most popular sports, from an athletic director’s perspective, for boys are basketball, track and field, baseball, wrestling, and cross-country, and soccer. More than 300 Colorado schools have basketball programs. While just under 300 have track and field and baseball. If all levels of football (6,  8, and 11 player) are combined, then football is the third most popular sport.

Sport Number of Schools with Programs
Basketball 330
Track and Field — Outdoor 299
Baseball 279
Wrestling 240
Cross Country 230
Football — 11-Player 211
Soccer 211
Golf 189
Tennis 130
Swimming & Diving 118
Lacrosse 113
Ice Hockey 64
Football — 8-player 49
Football — 6-player 35
Skiing — Alpine 14
Skiing — Cross Country 14

At the bottom of the list are alpine and cross-country ski programs.

From the athlete’s perspective the ranking is much different. Despite concerns about concussions, football is overwhelmingly the most popular sport. It is followed by track and field, basketball, baseball, and soccer.  At that point there is a significant drop to wrestling, cross-country, and lacrosse.

Sport Number of Participants
Football — 11-Player 14,917
Track and Field — Outdoor 9,597
Basketball 8,764
Baseball 8,248
Soccer 7,770
Wrestling 4,978
Cross Country 4,068
Lacrosse 3,787
Tennis 2,868
Golf 2,145
Swimming & Diving 2,066
Football — 8-player 859
Ice Hockey 644
Football — 6-player 453
Competitive Spirit Squad 172
Skiing — Alpine 140
Skiing — Cross Country 117

Competitive spirit squad and alpine and cross-country ski programs are clearly at the bottom.

Volleyball No Longer a Sport for Less Athletic and Older Men

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In 1895 William Morgan invented the sport of volleyball to provide the less athletic and older male members of the YMCA with a sport that required a lower level of athleticism and effort. His intent was to give them an opportunity to participate in an activity that wasn’t as rough and rigorous as basketball. In his initial demonstration of the sport, Morgan played on a 6’6″ net with 5 players on each team.

In 1900, Spalding produced the first ball specific to the sport. Twenty years later the 3-hit and back row attack rules were put in place. Volleyball was first played as an Olympic sport at the Tokyo summer games in 1964. Since then the popularity of the sport has increased dramatically because of Title IX, which was passed in 1972. Today about 23% of adolescent girls play volleyball on an organized team.

Data produced by the National Sporting Goods Association shows that about 60% of the players are women and the majority of participants are younger players. When a comparison is made between the age categories for volleyball and all sports and leisure activities, it is evident volleyball participation drops off when players reaches their 30s.

In fact, 41.8% of players are between the ages of 7 and 17 and another 18.4% are between 18 and 24. Combined, slightly more than 60% of players are under the age of 25. At the other end of the spectrum only 4.3% of all volleyball players are 55 years or older.

The remainder, 35.5%, are between the ages of 25 and 54 years.

If William Morgan was alive today, he probably wouldn’t recognize the sport he invented and the demographics of its participants, but given the sport’s popularity and its original intent, that is probably a good thing.
volleyball

Is Tennis Really a Lifetime Sport?

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For many years the tennis industry has marketed itself as a lifetime sport.

Data produced by the National Sporting Goods Association shows that about 28% of tennis players are juniors, 7 to 17 years in age.

Many stop playing when they graduate from high school or college and enter the workforce. Only about 9.0% of tennis players are between the ages of 18 and 24.

Once they become more settled they again pick up their racquets or start playing for the first time. Almost 57% of the players are between the ages of 25 and 54.

Only 7.0% of players are 55 years old or greater.

When a comparison is made between the age categories for tennis and all sports and leisure activities, it is apparent that tennis is not a lifetime sport. Essentially, fewer players participate when they reach their 50s.

Is tennis a lifetime sport? It is a great sport and it can be played long after a person graduates from high school or college. Given the data, it may be a stretch to call it a lifetime sport .

lifetime sport
Is tennis really a lifetime sport?

TIA Study Shows That Industry Lost Market Share, but Participation Trends Upwards

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In December 2012 the TIA and USTA released its annual survey showing that tennis participation topped 28 million in 2012 for the first time since 2009. On the bright side, the sport appears to be making a comeback. On the down side, the sport lost market share in a big way. In 2009 the U.S. population was 306.8 million and in 2012 it had grown to 313.9 million, an increase of 7.1 million people.

There is good news when you look at different market segments.

Efforts to promote junior tennis appear to have paid off. Players in the 6 to 11 age category increased by 13% compared to 2011. Wholesale shipments of the red, orange, and green tennis balls (junior balls) were up significantly in 2012.

Hopefully, 2013 will be the year the USTA finally gets it right regarding 10U tennis.  Currently, the sport’s governing body mandates that 10U players cannot play in higher age divisions and they are required to play on the smaller courts with the lighter balls. On one hand the industry is taking steps to engage junior players in the game, while on the other hand the ego-driven policies of the USTA are taking steps to kill that growth.

On a positive note, there was an uptick in the number of “frequent” tennis players to 5.3 million in 2012, the same as in 2007.
2007 5.3 million players
2008 5.6 million players
2009 5.4 million players
2010 4.8 million players
2011 4.8 million players
2012 5.3 million players.
Industry experts have indicated that this group of players accounts for about 70% of total spending in the industry.

Finally, the TIA reported strong growth in both the rejoining and continuing players.

Like most industries, tennis was hit hard by the Great Recession. While it is great news that the sport is rebounding, it is frustrating to realize that that sport continues to lose market share overall.