Reply to thread

Message

[QUOTE="cmr27, post: 1295303, member: 215"]
Here's a counter-intuitive. Statistically, NYS produces more athletes and offers more high school sports than Florida.

Total number of high school football programs in Florida: 556 with 40k kids playing on an average team size of 73

Total number of high school football programs in New York: 572 with 35k kids playing on an average team size of 62 (more PT, baby!)

It's not the weather... Total athletes (boys only): NY at 215k versus Fla at 154k. Significantly more kids play high school tennis in NYS. More kids play golf. Same holds for track and field OUTDOOR participation. Throw in winter sports and football has huge competition (plus, NYS kids are tougher if they are willing to brave the Feb. cold to run track and field outdoors).

And so it goes... Number of kids playing lax in Florida: 5,680... Number of kids playing lax in NYS: 16,169... Number of kids playing soccer in Florida: 15,769... Number of kids playing soccer in NYS: 23,669

The answer is partly in competition for a kid's time. Kids in NYS have more choices. Other programs get funded whereas in Florida, "there ain't much to do" besides football. The good news is the problem can be fixed from an SU standpoint via targeted development in youth programs. The demographics are there (Rust Belt states can not say the same thing.) The bad news is Rome wasn't built in a day.
[/QUOTE]

Verification

What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?