RESEARCH NOTE ON HIGH SCHOOL SPECTATOR SPORTS PREFERENCES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

Abstract

High school spectator sports preferences of high school students were ascertained by national administration of a questionnaire to 2000 snldents (964 boys and 1036 girls) representative of the national high school student pop~ilation (Blumenfeld, Franklin, & Rernmers, 1962 ) . In response to the question, Which one of the following (11 sports commonly found in high school athletic competition) is your favorite high school sporting event co attend, watch on TV, or listen to on the radio?'., the sample indicated basketball (36%), football (31%), and baseball ( 10% ) as the most popular.:' Of the minor sports, swimming and wrestling were the most popular (5% each). Tests of the significance of the difference between these obtained percentages by means of the z statistic yielded values beyond the .O1 level. Preference order for boys was foocball (39%), baskecball (27% ), and baseball ( 13% ) ; preference order for girls was basketball (45% ), football (24%), and baseball (7% ). Differences between sexes were significant (p < .01). Over all 11 alcernatives, rho berween preferences of boys and girls was .80. The over-all preference order of high school spectator sports was baskecball, football, and baseball. (Note that baseball's being the national pastime notwithstanding, high school students preferred baskecball and football as a higli school spectator sport.) Boys preferred foocball, baskecball, and baseball; girls preferred basketball, foocball, and baseball. Basketball was more popular among girls; football and baseball were more popular among boys.