GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The number of kids participating in high school sports is at an all-time high nationwide, led by more girls taking up sports.
But in Michigan, the numbers tell a slightly different story.
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the total number of boys participating in sports in Michigan has dropped from around 181,000 in 2009 to about 171,000 in the last school year.
Football is one of the sports feeling the biggest impact. The number of 11-man teams in state high schools has gone from 639 in 2009 to 578. In the latest sample, there are more than 11,000 fewer participants in 11-man football.
But the numbers of 8-man teams has gone from only 8 in 2009 to 71 now.
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