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High school activities is experiencing record participation. It is also experiencing unprecedented pressure.
Across the country, young students are training earlier, competing year-round and navigating expectations shaped by a rapidly expanding youth sports economy. For many families, activities now feel like increasingly high stakes.
High school activities operate differently—by design. They exist within schools, alongside classrooms, guided by the same educational mission. Participation is structured to support academic success and to teach intangibles like discipline, teamwork, resilience and responsibility. Rules around eligibility, seasons and competition are not barriers to ambition; they are safeguards for students.
As expectations around winning and advancement continue to rise, we at the KSHSAA believe it is worth reaffirming the role that high school activities play in education—and why that purpose matters.
Every high school student in activities is a student first, and we see high school activities as a vital extension of the classroom. In “the last class of the day,” student-athletes develop character and integrity and learn life lessons they will carry with them long after their playing days are over.
Today’s high school students participating in activities will be tomorrow’s leaders. So, while the goal of participating in high school activities is to win, the true purpose is much greater—for students to learn and grow as people.
How? By keeping high school activities educational, competitively balanced and accessible for all students. Why? To ensure high school activities develop the whole person, not just the competitor.
Last summer, the New York Times published an article stating youth sports is now a $40 billion industry. Private lessons, club sports, travel teams and elite competitions are costly and wildly popular.
For many student participating in activities, their activity experience is focused on becoming an elite athlete and landing a college scholarship.
But according to the NCAA, of the 8.2 million high school student-athletes in the U.S. (an all-time record), only 7% go on to play in college, and only 2% earn any type of scholarship.
Further, data from College Board’s “Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025” report shows that the total published cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room and board) at four-year colleges now averages roughly $31,000 per year in-state and more than $50,000 per year out-of-state—underscoring why families feel intense pressure to secure athletic scholarships.
That’s why the purpose of high school activities must be so much more than winning, earning trophies or advancing to the next level.
Only a select few go on to play in college and even fewer get scholarships. But nearly all students participating benefit simply by, participating. They experience personal growth. They learn leadership skills. They build community and more. When activities are education-based, students’ long-term development and well-being remain the top priority above all else.
With the guiding principle of students first, the NFHS and state high school associations like the KSHSAA are committed to preserving the integrity, opportunity and educational alignment of high school activities for all students.
The purpose of high school activities—helping students learn and grow as people—is what we are here to protect and preserve for generations to come. And it is our honor to do so.
Dr. Karissa Niehoff is the Chief Executive Officer of the NFHS. Bill Faflick is the Executive Director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA). Visit ProtectThePurpose.com to learn more.
