What Is the Status of High School Athletes 8 Years after Their Senior Year? Statistics in Brief. NCES 2005-303

This Statistics in Brief examines the status of high school athletes 8 years after their senior year in high school. Using a representative sample of 10th-graders in 1990, who were seniors in 1992, from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), this Brief provides information on the 1990-1992 high school athletes' educational, labor market, and health status in the year 2000, eight years after scheduled high school graduation. Outcomes for persons who reported participation in high school athletics (persons who indicated involvement in any school sports, at any level, in 1990 or 1992) are compared to outcomes for persons who did not report any high school athletic participation. In addition, outcomes for different types of high school athletes--persons who participated as elite athletes (team captains or most valuable players [MVPs] in 1990 or 1992), varsity athletes, and junior varsity (JV)/intramural athletes--are compared. Consistent with previous research, this report generally found positive relationships between high school athletic participation and educational, labor market, and health outcomes in 2000, eight years after scheduled high school graduation. High school athletes at the elite and varsity levels of participation experienced greater educational and labor market success than non-athletes. The health outcomes for high school athletes included lesser rates of smoking at the elite and varsity levels of participation and greater rates of participation in fitness activities and in group sports/recreation activities at all three levels of participation, compared to non-athletes. High school athletes at the elite and varsity level, however, were more likely to be binge drinkers. Future work in this area should include more extensive controls for possible selection effects of high school athletic participation. (Contains 10 endnotes.)