Did you know the more connected a student feels to their high school, the better their mental health?
It’s true, according to the CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.¹
The report found that high levels of school connectedness (when students feel close to the adults and peers at their school and believe they care) were associated with lower prevalence of every mental health risk indicator measured, including:
• Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (past 12 months)
• Poor mental health (always or most of the time, past 30 days)
What’s one of the best ways to build school connectedness? Playing high school sports.
And parents consistently describe high school sports as a positive environment where their students feel connected:²
• 91% say their student feels like they belong
• 92% say their student feels welcomed and included
• 82% say their student is more connected to school than before participating in high school sports
Essentially, when students find their people at school, it protects their mental health.
Keeping high school sports education-based is the reason why 51 state high school associations exist.
¹Mental Health and Suicide Risk Among High School Students and Protective Factors: Youth Risk Behavior Survey
²The NFHS National Parent Benchmark Study
The big debate: Do high school sports distract athletes from school? READ MORE
Why does playing high school sports matter? Because it LOWERS chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of a school year). READ MORE
Today’s students will be tomorrow’s leaders. READ MORE
THE MISSION
Helping students learn life lessons. Grow as people. Become responsible adults and productive citizens. Why do our 51 state high school associations exist?
To make sure that happens.
Run by educators, our state high school associations protect high school sports and activities by:
So our students have the opportunity to compete, to learn and to belong.
State high school associations believe in the power of high school sports and activities for every student, every school and every community. And they believe the true purpose of high school sports and activities is worth protecting and preserving for generations to come.
Join us in sharing these messages all year long on social media! Together, let’s all #ProtectThePurpose!
