THE MYTH VS. THE REALITY

The majority of students and parents believe talented high school student-athletes are actively recruited and offered “full-ride” sports and academic scholarships by Division I colleges and coaches.

The reality is that only 2% of these athletes are “actively recruited” by leading college coaches, leaving the remaining 98% left to “recruit themselves” through self-directed efforts.

THE MARKET

For the 17th consecutive year, the number of student participants in high school athletics increased in 2005-06, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Based on figures from the 50 state high school athletic/activity associations, plus the District of Columbia, participation for the 2005-06 school year rose by 141,195 students to 7,159,904, according to the 2005-06 High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS.

Through the survey, it was also determined that 53.5 percent of students enrolled in high schools participate in athletics. In addition to the overall numbers, the girl’s participation total of 2,953,355 set an all-time record. The boy’s total also increased, reaching 4,206,549, the highest participation in the past 28 years.