There aren't as many high school football and volleyball players as there were ten years ago.
That's according to Iowa High School Athletic Association Communications Director Chris Cuellar. He says the number of high school football players dropped from 22,000 to 16,000 during the 10 year period from 2007 to 2017.
"According to our data which is 9th through 12th graders, boys participating in 11 player football has dropped 25% since 2007," he says. "Buoying it is slow growth in cross country and soccer."
In high school women's atheltics, Cuellar says volleyball participation has dropped 10% during the past 10 years.
Cuellar made his comments during this hour of Talk of Iowa. During the show, host Charity Nebbe talked with him, Budd Legg, historian for the IHSAA, Tony Branch of the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, and Sarah Eikleberry of St. Ambrose University about public school atheltic programs and how things like language, health insurance, and transportaiton can be barriers to participation for many students.
