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While looking up high school volleyball players vs. hockey players in Minnesota in order to win a bet (won a lunch as MN has 14,000 girl volleyball players vs. 9,000 girl and boy hockey players) I noticed a huge variation in how many kids participate in high school sports across states. Can these numbers be right? Are private school kids included in the numbers? Are club sports big in some states and not in others? What do kids in California, Utah and Florida do after school? How come Mississippi is so high compared to other Southern states given Mississippi's relative income level?

The data is number of high school kids participating in high school sports in the 2006-2007 school year divided by high school enrollment in 2007. Multi-sport athletes are double counted.

So in Maine almost every kid participates in a high school sport but in Florida less that 1 out of every 3 kids participate.

Enrollment Sport Participants Percent Participate
Maine 58,928 56,993 96.7
Iowa 156,271 146,736 93.9
Nebraska 91,230 80,155 87.9
North Dakota 31,503 26,571 84.3
Minnesota 276,762 220,241 79.6
South Dakota 36,995 29,314 79.2
Mississippi 138,650 107,247 77.4
Massachusetts 290,000 213,073 73.5
Wisconsin 274,909 201,116 73.2
Vermont 29,968 21,854 72.9
Montana 46,186 33,135 71.7
Kansas 144,507 100,060 69.2
New Hampshire 65,582 45,176 68.9
Wyoming 26,238 17,508 66.7
Hawaii 54,305 36,114 66.5
Delaware 38,102 24,938 65.5
Missouri 284,047 172,407 60.7
Connecticut 172,940 104,810 60.6
Texas 1,272,249 763,967 60.0
Michigan 547,876 321,400 58.7
New Jersey 434,288 247,332 57.0
Rhode Island 49,183 27,904 56.7
Idaho 80,729 45,028 55.8
Oregon 173,521 96,107 55.4
Ohio 577,143 315,473 54.7
Colorado 231,193 124,604 53.9
Illinois 636,798 334,358 52.5
Indiana 315,711 164,548 52.1
Kentucky 192,368 96,730 50.3
Alaska 39,999 19,994 50.0
Washington 322,567 153,499 47.6
Louisiana 191,648 90,157 47.0
Pennsylvania 597,973 276,911 46.3
Virginia 382,613 172,095 45.0
North Carolina 421,004 185,634 44.1
West Virginia 83,329 36,114 43.3
New Mexico 99,034 41,902 42.3
Oklahoma 178,359 74,428 41.7
South Carolina 205,454 85,576 41.7
Alabama 213,326 86,887 40.7
Maryland 275,513 109,984 39.9
New York 902,864 350,349 38.8
Tennessee 276,815 105,197 38.0
California 2,005,349 735,497 36.7
Arkansas 137,303 49,337 35.9
Georgia 464,509 163,137 35.1
Arizona 357,995 109,027 30.5
Nevada 122,996 37,317 30.3
Utah 165,956 48,568 29.3
Florida 822,124 230,312 28.0

The variation in girl vs. boy participation also varies from 53 vs. 47 percent boy/girl split in New Hampshire to 68 vs. 32 percent boy/girl split in Alabama. Don't Southern Belles do sports or does the South's religion - football - just skew the numbers?

Total Participants Boy Participants Percent Boys Percent Girls
New Hampshire 45,176 23,887 53 47
Pennsylvania 276,911 146,936 53 47
Maine 56,993 30,830 54 46
Minnesota 220,241 119,691 54 46
Kentucky 96,730 53,114 55 45
Alaska 19,994 11,023 55 45
Vermont 21,854 12,103 55 45
Connecticut 104,810 58,225 56 44
Colorado 124,604 69,237 56 44
Montana 33,135 18,635 56 44
Virginia 172,095 97,016 56 44
Delaware 24,938 14,097 57 43
New York 350,349 198,536 57 43
Massachusetts 213,073 120,756 57 43
Oklahoma 74,428 42,410 57 43
Wyoming 17,508 10,002 57 43
North Carolina 185,634 106,321 57 43
Maryland 109,984 63,587 58 42
Idaho 45,028 26,068 58 42
Michigan 321,400 186,217 58 42
Indiana 164,548 96,053 58 42
Iowa 146,736 85,777 58 42
Washington 153,499 89,858 59 41
New Jersey 247,332 144,879 59 41
New Mexico 41,902 24,597 59 41
Hawaii 36,114 21,200 59 41
South Dakota 29,314 17,232 59 41
Rhode Island 27,904 16,412 59 41
Florida 230,312 135,842 59 41
Oregon 96,107 56,867 59 41
Arizona 109,027 64,552 59 41
Mississippi 107,247 63,552 59 41
California 735,497 437,592 59 41
Nebraska 80,155 47,783 60 40
Missouri 172,407 102,937 60 40
North Dakota 26,571 15,898 60 40
Illinois 334,358 200,738 60 40
Kansas 100,060 60,196 60 40
Wisconsin 201,116 121,455 60 40
Ohio 315,473 190,789 60 40
Arkansas 49,337 30,111