Abstract
This study focuses on high school sport participation based on gender and race. There has been an increase in enrollment of minority students in high school and an increase in female participation in sports in the US. Our objective is to investigate whether these changes affected gender and racial gaps in high school sport participation. We analyzed data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Based on Act 82, public schools must submit an “Interscholastic Athletic Opportunities Disclosure Form” annually. We used data from 21 predominately white high schools. Among these schools, 18 of them have significant racial differences. The average for white athlete participation is 50% while the average for non-white groups is only 30%. In addition, 13 of these schools have significant gender differences for sport participation. The average male participation in sports is 50% while the average female participation is 41%. These findings raised an important question for high school sports: why do non-white athletes participate less than their white counterparts? And why do female athletes have lower participation rates? It’s critical to understand what factors impact youth athlete decisions to participate in sports. This research has demonstrated the use of open records as a fundamental resource to assess racial and gender equality in high school. Although this study is limited to a small group of schools, we are continuing to expand our sample size. Our analysis offers educators insight about gender and racial disparities in sport participation which is fundamental to establish inclusion in youth sports.
Presenters
Liz WangProfessor, Marketing Department, West Chester University , Pennsylvania, United States Claire Boczkowski
Student, High School, Bayard Rustin High School, Pennsylvania, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Sport Participation, Youth Sports, Racial Diversity, Gender Equality, Student Athletes
