Does High School Team Sports Participation Affect Income?
Abstract
Since 1971, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has collected participation data on both high school level team sports and activities. The NFHS has found that for the 2016-2017 school year, approximately 48.5 percent of students enrolled in public and private high schools in the United States have participated in team sports. I estimate an ordinary least squares model using longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Using data collected from 1994 to 2008, I predict the effect of high school team sport participation on income. Previous research has found that those who participated in team sports have achieved higher incomes than those who have not; however, the study sample sizes were small. Using a larger sample size, I expect to find that participation in high school team sports has a strong positive effect on future income due to the soft skills learned through sports teamwork.
Does High School Team Sports Participation Affect Income?
Since 1971, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has collected participation data on both high school level team sports and activities. The NFHS has found that for the 2016-2017 school year, approximately 48.5 percent of students enrolled in public and private high schools in the United States have participated in team sports. I estimate an ordinary least squares model using longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Using data collected from 1994 to 2008, I predict the effect of high school team sport participation on income. Previous research has found that those who participated in team sports have achieved higher incomes than those who have not; however, the study sample sizes were small. Using a larger sample size, I expect to find that participation in high school team sports has a strong positive effect on future income due to the soft skills learned through sports teamwork.