The picture of a student-athlete is changing.
That was the focus in a session titled “Honoring Cultural Traditions Through School Athletics” at the AASA national conference Thursday. Cecilia Robinson Woods, superintendent of the Millwood Public Schools in Oklahoma City, Okla., and Ronald Jones, deputy superintendent of Tyler Independent School District in Tyler, Texas, shared how they made it their mission to promote strong citizenship, participation in activities and cultural acceptance.
While participation in sports is increasing, according to Aspen Institute’s State of Play 2024, the rates depend on a variety of factors, including race, income, gender and location.
Northern states boast higher participation rates than Southern ones. The rate of Black children playing sports has dropped from 45 percent in 2013 to 35 percent in 2023. And while the number of girls playing sports is on the rise, boys' participation is dropping. Only 41 percent of boys played a sport in 2023.
Those changing demographics are forcing school officials to rethink their programs and how they keep students involved in them.
The two presenters said school sports have long been a mainstay of the school experience, providing students with activities where they can express themselves and honor their own cultural traditions while improving school performance, attendance and graduation rates. But keeping those traditions alive is a challenge.
The Tyler High School marching band is one example. Styled after the tradition of historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, its numbers were dropping as the school’s demographics switched to majority Hispanic. School leaders had to figure out why. One issue was the cost, they found.
“We had to make a mad push to get our parents engaged and understand that being a part of band was not going to be more expensive than being a part of anything else,” Jones said.
Going forward, Woods and Jones agreed it was critical that to keep school sports and activities alive, ensuring inclusivity and opportunities for all students is critical.
(Ecoi Lewis, a graduate student in the marketing/communications program at Loyola University New Orleans, is reporter with Conference Daily Online.)
