Feb 2007 Editor's Letter
By: Jill Pinheiro

Whether or not your school won a championship in your division for a particular sport or not last year, there's no question that athletic teams play an important role in Christian schools. And, studies show that participation is on the rise.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), based on figures from the 50 state high school athletic/activity associations, plus the District of Columbia, that are members of the NFHS, participation for the 2005-06 school year rose by 141,195 students to 7,159,904, according to the 2005-06 High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS. Through the survey, it was also determined that 53.5 percent of students enrolled in high schools participate in athletics.

"The results show that even more students are participating in high school sports, which will have positive effects on their long-term personal success," said NFHS Executive Director Robert F. Kanaby.

The impact of your sports teams go far beyond the final numbers on the scoreboard at the end of the game. Your students are directly, and positively, impacted by their participation in athletics, as well.

"It is unfortunate that, in some cases, financial support for high school athletics and activities has been declining," Kanaby said. "Students want these programs. This latest survey shows a continuing trend toward more participation, and that's good for students and their communities. We can demonstrate that participation in athletics and activities helps students succeed in life."

In our annual focus on athletic equipment, we provide some considerations for selecting sporting goods for your team sports, in addition to guidelines for basketball backstop safety and multi-purpose athletic flooring. I hope you'll find this issue packed with good information for successfully equipping and operating your athletics division.

I'm always interested in hearing from you. You can reach me at jill@cspmag.com.

God Bless,

Jill Pinheiro
Managing Editor