Fewer students are participating in high school sports in Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Several schools in Nebraska have now forfeited their football seasons, drawing the attention of fans across the state.

And on Friday, Grand Island Senior High School announced it was canceling all of its girls’ basketball games.

The school said no juniors or seniors would participate in the sport. The team will instead focus on improving younger players.

Grand Island will play reserve and freshman games.

SEE ALSO: Grand Island Senior High is canceling the girls varsity basketball season

The announcement surprised some.

Nate Neuhaus, assistant director of the Nebraska School Activities Association, said he has been closely monitoring the sports climate at the high school.

“This is probably something new in the basketball world,” Neuhaus said. “It’s probably the first time we’ve seen a loss before the season started, so it’ll be interesting to learn more about that and find out what the variables are.”

He said it’s not unusual for a handful of small schools to fold each season.

“For various reasons we have had six or seven different football absences over the course of the season, but this is a worrying trend,” Neuhaus said.

Southern Valley High School ended its football season in early October.

Neuhaus said this is normal for a Class D school.

But when a Class A team like Omaha gives up on Benson, it raises alarm bells.

SEE ALSO: Omaha Benson is ending the football season early

And Neuhaus said it’s hard to know what the cause is.

“The reasons for this are varied and most often it starts with a low number of participants in a particular community,” he said.

Neuhaus has noticed a decline in participation across all sports in Nebraska.

“I just think student-athletes have a lot more options and opportunities than ever before,” he said. “So if they’re playing a sport that they’re not necessarily interested in, there are other things they can get involved with. And that’s a good thing; There are other opportunities for them to participate. This just spreads out the student body.”

A losing record, injuries, illnesses and poor academic performance are some other factors that play a role in the difficult decision to forgo a season.

Neuhaus said it’s difficult to find a solution because each community has its own unique problems.

“Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that education-based extracurricular activities in secondary schools look different than they did five, 10 or 15 years ago,” he said. “I’m not sure we know exactly why yet, but we’re definitely trying to figure it out.”