Maryland's top prep sports: football for boys, soccer for girls
The latest participation survey from the National Federation of State High School Associations shows growth at the state level as well as the national level in the number of high school students participating in interscholastic athletics during the last school year -- although their favorite sports haven't changed much.
Football remains the most popular sport for boys nationwide and in Maryland. For girls, track and field is the most popular sport across the country with soccer most popular in Maryland, according to the annual NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey.
In order of popularity nationally -- by total participants -- only one sport among the top 10 changed. Girls lacrosse cracked the top 10, overtaking golf for the tenth spot. In Maryland, lacrosse ranks No. 2 for boys and No. 3 for girls.
The survey counted 4,494,406 boys playing high school sports during the 2010-2011 school year and 3,173,549 girls. That number increased nearly 40,000 over the previous year. This is the 22nd straight year that participation numbers have risen. Among NFHS members, 55.5 percent of high school students play sports.
Nationwide, 11-player football was the top sport for boys with 1,108,441 participants followed by track and field, basketball, baseball, soccer, wrestling, cross country, tennis, golf and swimming and diving. For girls, track and field ranked first with 475,265 participants, followed by basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming and diving, competitive spirit squads and lacrosse.
Here are the top 10 sports for Maryland boys and girls, according to the survey which counts only member schools and includes all of the state's public schools but not all private schools.
Boys
1. Football, 15,464
2. Lacrosse, 6,828
3. Track and field, 6,593
4. Soccer, 6,273
5. Basketball, 5,568
6. Baseball, 5,517
7. Indoor track, 5,050
8. Wrestling, 4,788
9. Cross country, 3,777
10. Tennis, 2,362
Girls
1. Soccer, 5,863
2. Track and field, 5,772
3. Lacrosse, 5,264
4. Volleyball, 4,948
5. Softball, 4,865
6. Basketball, 4,674
7. Indoor track, 4,396
8. Cross country, 2,667
9. Tennis, 2,363
10. Swimming and diving, 2.040
