High School Sports In The 1800s

In the 1800s there was not a high demand for highly trained, educated and experienced athletic directors even though high school sports were expanding. It was not until the late 1890s that the state of Michigan initiated high school sports competition for boys and then the Michigan State Athletic Association was created for years after. This establishment sparked other states like Illinois, Indiana, and New York to create their athletic associations in the early 1900s (Schneider and Stier). By 1920 there was a national organization, consisting of five states, called the National Federation of State High School Athletic Association. Today, all states hold membership in this federation. Sports continued to expand, and the position of athletic