Sports & Physical Activity

Average total cost for the school year was $302 per student in sports, $218 for arts, and $124 for clubs. 27% of parents from lower-income families cited a drop in participation in school activities due to cost. 1 in 4 students from lower-income families did not participate in any school activities in 2015-16.

1 in 7 parents whose children did not play middle or high school sports in 2013-14 cited cost as the reason for not participating. Only 30% of lower-income parents report their child participates in middle or high school sports, compared to 51% of higher-income parents.

Half of parents of middle- and high-school students report some concussion education. Watching a video or live presentation helps parents feel more confident about managing a concussion. Signing a waiver form, without additional concussion education, is rated by parents as not useful.

Most children get sports physicals from their usual health care provider. Walk-in or urgent care clinics and schools are also common locations. 89% of parents agree that sports physicals are not a substitute for regular check-ups. Parents rate measuring blood pressure, discussing medical history, and testing vision as very important to include in sports physicals.

Failing grades are most commonly given for nutrition education and the amount of time schools allow for physical activity. Parents of overweight children are more likely to give failing grades to their children’s schools for efforts to address obesity.

Over 60% of children who play school sports had an athletic pay-to-play fee; only 6% received waivers for the fee. Only one-third of lower-income parents report their child participates in school sports, while more than half of higher-income parents have a teen playing school sports.

82% of parents report at least one school-based intervention aimed at preventing childhood obesity within their children’s schools. 30% of parents of children age 6-14 report worrisome eating behaviors & physical activity in their children. 7% of parents say their children have been made to feel bad at school about what or how much they were eating.

94% of parents think it’s very important for elementary school kids to get physical activity during the school day. One-third of parents think their kids do not get enough physical activity at school. Obese and overweight parents are more likely to say that their kids do not get enough physical activity.

Only 8% have read or heard a lot about the risks of repeat concussions in school sports. More than 50% do not know if their children’s school has a policy about returning to sports after a concussion. 62% know of a parent who would have his or her child return to school sports too soon after a concussion.

Nearly 1 in 10 parents of a high school athlete knows someone under 18 who has tried performance-enhancing drugs. 3 out of 4 parents support random testing of high school athletes for performance-enhancing drugs. Less than one-half of parents believe there should be individual penalties for high school athletes who test positive for performance-enhancing drugs.