It is Homecoming Week at Central and a walk through the halls would leave most visitors with the opinion that everything is as it should be. Students and staff are dressed in wacky outfits, changing depending on the theme of the day. Posters and activities are typical of previous Homecoming Weeks. I even woke up to my house being TPed! Yet there is a major difference this school year, and that difference is no football game. Due to injuries and low participation, Central had to forfeit their scheduled football game with Don Bosco Friday night. While I am unsure how much forfeiting our game is affecting the students, I know it is wearing on our community members, coaches, Mr. Yanda, and myself.
With the news of the forfeit spreading around the area, I was contacted by another superintendent who asked, "aren't you guys a football school?" One would think the recent success of our football program (8 straight home playoff games, and 3 straight district titles) would lead to more future success. Instead, even having a football team to finish the season is now in question.
So we find ourselves asking why? How can we have such a drastic change? With declining enrollment most will likely jump to the side that "we just don't have the students". But not so fast! During our successful run in football, participation in fall sports (both cross country and football) were at the following rates:
Class of 2017- 71%
Class of 2016- 74%
Class of 2015- 56%
An average of 67% participation rate in fall sports.
Class of 2018- 62%
Class of 2019- 31% (Almost 70% of our junior boys are not out for a fall sport)
Class of 2020- 50%
Class of 2021- 53%
An average of 49% participation rate in fall sports.
A school district our size can't afford to have 20% less students participating and expect to maintain the level of success we have previously experienced. Our enrollment is not decreasing 20% a year so we can cross that off of our list of reasons "why".
I find myself asking is this just a Central problem? In regards to football, the answer is no. There have been numerous forfeits already this football season across the State and this will be a major topic of conversation at the next Iowa High School Athletic Association meeting. Yet, if football and the concussion scare is the problem, why are students not out for Cross Country?
Last week Trevor Ragan spoke to Central community members, staff, and students about growth mindset and stepping outside of our comfort bubbles. Are we as coaches and teachers fostering a growth mindset and encouraging students to participate? Are parents encouraging their kids to be involved? Do parents understand that "participation in athletics has a positive association with academic achievement. Studies have shown that high school athletes have higher grades than non-athletes, lower absentee levels, a significantly smaller percentage of discipline referrals, lower percentages of dropouts, and higher graduation rates." (Childtrends.org)
In the upcoming weeks I plan to compare our participation data with our academic data. A quick look at the graduating classes of 2015 and 2016 show that 50% of the students not participating in fall sports attended the alternative school. If Central is like national trends, we will most likely find declining academic scores alongside declining participation.
Central prides itself on high academic and extracurricular achievement. My favorite part about attending a small rural Iowa high school was that I could be involved in anything and everything. Somehow we are losing this with today's students. It will take a whole community effort to get this back.
