There are no multicamera national television broadcasts. The field will be used by a soccer team in the winter, and the track that wraps around it will be walked by freshman in their first year of physical education. It will keep local newspapers afloat and will be a topic of conversation among high school classmates until the end of their lives.
High school football doesn’t come with the dazzle of the pros or the raucous crows of the college game, but it leaves a lasting impact on communities across the country. There are more than 1 million high school football players in a given year, and both universities and the NFL typically avoid Friday night games, when regular viewers are sitting in the bleachers instead of at their TV sets.
Thirty-five states are planning to see high school football seasons this fall. Vermont will be playing a passing league-style 7-on-7 season, and the remaining 14, plus the District of Columbia, have pushed their seasons back to 2021. It will be a bizarre season, but the season will be there, an important victory for high schoolers across the country.
A study out of the University of Wisconsin health system found that more than two-thirds of high school athletes were reporting anxiety and depression due to sports cancellations. Physical activity levels were cut in half, and quality of life was lower than they had ever recorded. With over 1 million players across the country, playing the season is just as important as getting students back to in-person schooling.
The presence of fans may vary by state, or even by school district, but the players will soon be back on the gridiron. The pads, the scoreboards, and the stadium lights will all be on. And the legacy of the season will be recorded by local sports historians and will be recounted by players for years to come.
