Participation in high school sports has never been higher nationally. Where Connecticut stands

The national governing body for high school athletics announced earlier this month that the number of participants nationwide has exceeded 8.2 million at 8,266,244. Connecticut was ranked 29th this past school year with 111,664, according to the NFHS. The CIAC reported 103,352 athletes playing sports this past school year, its highest since the 2018-19 season. The CIAC reported 57,452 boys playing sports, with 43,694 girls and 2,206 not specified.