High school athletic programs have been studied for more than a century. Early studies focused on how athletics helped foster a collective identity and generated pride for participants and community members. These studies evolved to clarify how participation brought about improvements in physical health, stress management and academic benchmarks. Today, there are numerous studies that focus on all types of participation benefits, but what sometimes goes unappreciated is the impact that high school athletics has on students after they graduate.

Participating in high school athletics has long-lasting, definitive benefits, especially when athletic leaders create an environment that challenges and rewards the growth mindset. When participants are supported in this way, they develop lifelong habits that transcend high school.

Three of the most important participation takeaways that students continue to practice after graduation are: 1) a stronger sense of self-confidence in building relationships with others and having an expanded capacity for empathy; 2) developing a better understanding of self and in so doing understanding how their actions affect others; and 3) building foundations for lifelong fitness habits. read more at nfhs.org