Participation in Connecticut boys' high school sports fell more than 4%. Most sports saw declines.

Boys high school sports participation in Connecticut dropped more than 4% in the 2025-2026 school year, according to data from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC). The decline affected nearly all sports, with football experiencing the largest decrease at 9%. Other sports, such as swimming and indoor track, saw six-percent drops.

Wrestling and volleyball both saw declines of five percent. Basketball, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer and tennis all experienced four-percent decreases. Spring golf had a three-percent drop, while baseball and cross country each fell by two percent. Indoor track and spring golf were the only sports that showed a slight increase in participation.

CIAC executive director Glenn Lungarini attributed the decline to a statewide drop in public school enrollment, which hit a 20-year low in the 2024-2025 school year. He also noted that policies requiring students to pay to participate in sports, such as those implemented in Southington and Windsor, are contributing to the decline in participation.