Where have all the girls gone? Examining high school basketball and volleyball participation in Nebraska
According to the Nebraska School Activities Association data, within five years, from 2017-18 to 2022-23, the number of girls basketball players in the state dropped by almost 900.
By News Channel NebraskaWith the high school basketball season in full swing, the effects of declining participation in girls basketball are becoming more apparent. Across Nebraska, junior varsity games are being canceled due to player shortages, and some schools, like Grand Island Senior High, have made the choice to forgo varsity girls basketball this year.
So how much has the sport dwindled over the years? News Channel Nebraska decided to dive into the numbers. According to the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) data, within five years, from 2017-18 to 2022-23, the number of girls basketball players in the state dropped by almost 900. Within ten years, it decreased by more than 1200, and in the past two decades it plummeted more than 2100.
“This is not just a Nebraska issue, but a nationwide issue,” NSAA Assistant Director Jon Dolliver told News Channel Nebraska. “It’s likely caused by a mixture of things, whether it’s club sports or sports specialization or the fact that basketball is hard to do.”
Meanwhile, volleyball participation in Nebraska high schools has been holding steady over the past five years. However, it’s down nearly 270 participants over ten years and 1540 over 20 years.
“We’ve seen a decrease in general in all sports. I’m not sure if it’s because kids are specializing in one sport, but that has definitely been a growing trend,” said Dolliver.
Still, Dolliver is optimistic girls basketball will be on the rebound.
“We’ve seen an explosion of the popularity of women’s basketball over the past couple of years with the WNBA, so I’m optimistic about the future,” said Dolliver.
One sport that’s bucking the trend is wrestling, which has seen a significant rise in girls' participation. During the 2022-23 season, 1,277 girls took part—an increase from 125 five years earlier. The NSAA officially sanctioned girls' wrestling during the 2021-22 school year.
"Wrestling may have affected girls basketball a little bit, but I don’t want to blame girls wrestling for fewer girls in basketball. They’re two such different sports," said Dolliver.