11-player football participation in U.S. high schools 2009-2022, by gender

The combined number of male and female participants playing traditional American football at high school level in the United States declined significantly in 2021/2022 versus the pre-COVID-19 years. However, the development was different for each gender. While the number of male participants reached less than one million for the first time since 2009/2010, the number of female participants reached its peak at over three thousand.

Interest in football in the U.S.

Despite the number of girls playing football at high school level doubling in the last decade, more than half of female participants in a March 2020 survey were not at all interested in high school football in the North American country. The level of interest in college football was even lower among female survey participants, with results from a May 2022 survey showing that 62 percent of females were not fans of college football at all. When it came to the National Football League, however, 56 percent of female respondents claimed to follow the sport to some degree.

The hard knocks of college football

The long-term aim for the majority of talented high school footballers is to play in the National Football League (NFL), but for many the transition to college football is where the dream will end. College not only demands extra focus in the classroom, there are also added pressures of performing on the field. Large stadiums pave the way for thousands of football fans to cheer on their favorite teams and, additionally, the games draw huge television audiences in the United States. Players face many challenges in college football, but if they can cope with the added demands, the dream of playing in the NFL can be more of a reality.