Data: MaxPreps, Axios research; Cartogram: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios
As local governments go to war over whether high schools can open, the fate of the fall sports season hangs in the balance.
The state of play: The National Federation of State High School Associations has offered a 16-page guide to help states resume athletics, but with so many organizations and school districts involved, there has been little uniformity.
- The majority of states have announced delays or postponements for some or all fall sports, while 15 are still planning to hold normal fall sports seasons.
Why it matters: Whether seasons start as scheduled, get delayed or move to 2021, high school athletes will be impacted in myriad ways.
- Exercise: Physical activity levels of high school athletes have declined 50% since May, according to a recent University of Wisconsin study.
- Mental health: That same study suggests two-thirds of high school athletes are experiencing depression and anxiety due to canceled seasons.
- Recruiting: A reshuffled high school sports schedule could negatively impact recruiting, and multi-sport athletes will face difficult decisions if seasons overlap (as is the case in California).
Go deeper: What a school day looks like in a pandemic