Has the bubble burst on high school football

High school football may be fading fast.

A steady, five-year decline in participation — which has seen numbers drop in 36 states and fall off almost 40,000 players nationally since 2009 — figures to continue this season.

Concussions, commitment, and other factors are playing a role but all told the effects are being felt.

“We can’t draw a line to one thing but there are a variety of factors contributing to the decline,” said Bruce Howard, Director of Communications for the National Federation of State High School Associations. “Some of it is health scares, some is pay-for-play, some kids are specializing and only playing one sport, some are changing sports completely, and some schools are just seeing a decline because the product has not been as good as it once was and kids want to be a part of a winner.

“We are aware of it and we are talking to the states about how to improve participation.”

At its height in 2009 there were 1,112,303 high school players participating in football across the country. As kickoff for the 2014 season is set to start on Thursday with HSFB100 NO. 69 Brandon (MS) taking on Madison (MS) Central numbers could plummet to an eight-year low this season after dropping to 1,086,627 last year.

It was the first year under 1.1 million since 2006.

There is not a consistent trend as to which state has grown and which has been impacted with losses.

Texas is widely considered the state which stands on the top of the high school football mountain has gained 4,466 players since 2009.

Florida, California, and Ohio are often placed in the next three slots on the totem pole but each has had numbers drop over time.

Florida is down 5,608 participants since 2009, California has lost 1,179 players, and Ohio leads the nation in negative numbers as it fell off 9,510 football players in the same span.

Two fast-rising states states have seen an uptick.

Georgia has added nearly 1,000 players while Louisiana leads the way by gaining 7,673 participants since 2009.

Rocky Pentello has coached Westerville (Ohio) South for 24 seasons. He told The Columbus Dispatch his numbers have dropped from 90 to 50 in recent years.

He blames the culture of today’s youth.

“It’s a societal and generational thing,” he said. “The kids we’re getting are just different now. Kids are isolated; they’re not outside playing in the parks and fields like we did. I hate to say it, but a lot of them would rather sit home and play NCAA or Madden (video games). Football takes a lot of work, and a lot of kids today just aren’t willing to make that commitment.”

It is a position that the NFHS said has been a contributing factor as well.

“There are a lot of things vying for kids time right now,” Howard said. “Being indoors is easier than being outside in the summertime. Kids are playing Wii and playing on their smart phones more than ever.”

They are still playing football though.

Kris Richardson is the co-head coach at Folsom (CA) and he said that numbers for his rising program have remained high.

“Regardles of what we have done our numbers have stayed pretty steady,” he said. “We are usually right at 55 on varsity, 40 on JV, and another 40 or so on the freshman team.

“I honestly would have thought they would have increased as we have improved but they haven’t, which I guess is surprising.”

Folsom has gone from a middle of the pack team in Northern California to a national power since Richardson came to the program in 2005.

It went from averaging six wins during his first four years to 13 during the last six.

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The Bulldogs were recently named to the Preseason Top 25 — starting the season at No. 22 in the country.

Richardson also made a major improvement to his schedule this season in adding tougher tests for his kids. It was a move that should have drummed up interest but did not.

“We have tried to get more kids,” he said. “I guess there just a ceiling here and maybe that is cost related, I don’t know.

“We haven’t lost anyone to concussions or other sports but maybe our socioeconomics play a roll. We are a public school without pay-for-play but there is additional costs involved with spirit packs, and transportation, so I guess those things could keep kids from coming out.”

Richardson said that if the team was not having the success that it is he could understand if his numbers slipped as kids look at other avenues.

“I know that some guys in the Fresno area are having a tough time,” he said. “The programs had dipped a little and then the kids started going out for lacrosse. That is something that is taking the skill players in the Bay Area, too, but programs like ours, Del Oro (Loomis, CA), Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, CA), Granite Bay (CA) are all about where we have always been.”

Holding steady may be a best case scenario.

The decline in interest has caused schools to shut down programs entirely.

Ohio has seen 22 schools eliminate football since 2009.

The NFHS said that a movement to change the message may help.

“With some of the programs like Heads Up (by USAFootball) and additional coaching and eduction at all levels from Pop Warner to the NFL we hope the conversation changes,” Howard said. “There is much more to be gained from athletics than just the competition and that has been showed in numerous studies.

“We feel confident that the tide will turn and at least hope that kids will get back out there and participate.”

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