NINE SPORTS PARTICIPATION RECORDS BROKEN

 

A continuation of the upward trend in sports partici-
pation among the member schools of the Association is
shown in a summary of athletic participation for the
1939-1940 school year. More than 21,000 boys took
part in the ten approved sports during the year, re-
presenting an increase of approximately 4oo over the
previous high established in 1938-1939.

Altogether nine new records were established as old
marks were broken in football, basketball, track, tennis,
wrestling, golf, and softball in addition to the total
number.

With 73 schools reporting six-man football teams, the
number of schools playing football jumped to 391, an
increase of 24 over the preceding year and the highest
number participating in the gridiron sport since 1931-32.
There were 318 eleven-man football schools with 10,631
boys competing, while the 73 six-man schools had 1,127
boys reporting. The combined total of 11,758 was the
largest number of individual football participants since

records have been kept and was a hike of more than 700
over last year.

Although four less schools played basketball, the
number of pupils continued to climb and reached 13,937,
another record, and an increase of approximately 350
over the former mark. Track turned in a double record
as eight new schools took up the spring sport for a total
of 490, and a record-smashing total of 8,815 boys turned
out for the cinder competition. The number of tennis
schools dropped off slightly, but more boys than ever
before participated.

Wrestling increased both in the number of schools and
in the number of grapplers as 346 boys took part as re-
presentatives of 19 schools. The total of 50 schools
having golf teams tied the number in 1935-36 and also
in 1937-38, but the individual total of 278 was an all-
time high. Twenty schools playing softball had 358
players, another record.

 

 

 

 

Year Football 6-man Football Basketball Track Tennis Baseball Wrestling Golf Softball Swimming Totals

mae = a = a a a a 3 4 2

° ° °o ° ° ° ° ° ° ° °o

SOs 4 8 ee Se es § oe a OE SES

WY -Q Y OQ YN [oa Y Q Yn <Q Y) ~ YM © WM. WN OB “Qe D [ea
1928-29 §=—. 398 629 431 190 199 II 20 2 645 13,417
1929-30 392 638 456 218 186 21 41 3 660 13,641
1930-31 419 646 455 238 281 19 26 3 665 15,128
1931-32 399 635 462 233 298 26 47 3 654 15,730
1932-33 388 631 443 236 320 25 39 3 646 15,876
1933-34 372 644 432 232 319 18 45 3 656 16,765
1934-35 348 8,914 648 11,324 413 5,921 219 999 324 4,464 14 215 35 176 5 61 661 17,193
1935-36 347 9,376 634 11,778 437 6,358 215 929 336 4,840 19 232 50 200 8 127 4 63 655 18,123
1936-37 339 9,579 644 12,181 433 7,035 183 970 321 4,862 16 271 49 206 6 76 4 79 658 18,736
1937-38 330 9,764 661 12,843 462 7,743 195 1,022 311 5,073 16 274 50 207 13 182 5 106 668 19,521
1938-39 ©=. 367_:«:11,027 664 13,571 482 8,671 20) 1,129 316 5,034 18 302 47 260 23 357 6 131. 668 20,924
1939-40 318 10,631 73 1,127 660 13,937 490 8,815 196 1,134 2098 4,625 19 346 50 278 20 358 6 109 667 21,343