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Fringe sports on the increase among students
The Toronto Star (Wed 01 Feb 2006 Byline: David Grossman reports that fringe is in for student athletes across Ontario, according to a new survey by the governing body for high school sports in the province. The annual participation report of the Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association shows that archery, ultimate Frisbee and mountain bike racing are gaining in popularity.
Traditional sports like football and boys' basketball, meanwhile, are in decline, while wrestling and track and field are in deep trouble. Soccer, with more than 31,000 competitors, has taken over as the most popular sport. It's No. 1 among boys and a close second to volleyball for girls. But one provincial official says information from 709 of 850 schools completing the survey clearly shows that teenagers are moving to the fringe sports. The numbers also show a dramatic increase in participation among girls. Sevor says young women are flocking to rugby, ice hockey, softball, lacrosse, fencing and curling. For boys, mainstream sports are being abandoned in favour of cricket, weightlifting, golf and dragonboat racing.
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