New Jersey high school sports participation is on the rise, and numbers across the United States recently hit an all-time high.

A new wave of student-athletes has emerged to replace the losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this decade. A record 8.2 million students played high school sports nationwide during the 2024-25 school year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

“It is wonderful to see the interest in high school sports reach new heights,” said Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, chief executive officer of the Indiana-based NFHS. “The immense value of high school sports is reflected in these impressive numbers.”

The 8,266,244 total represents an increase of more than 200,000 from the previous school year's record number of 8,062,302. Participation

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