NFHS Learning Center Publishes Courses for Football Statistics, Volleyball Statistics, The Female and Male Athlete Triad

The NFHS has announced the release of three new courses on the online NFHS Learning Center, unveiling two sports statistics offerings titled “Collecting Statistics: Football” and “Collecting Statistics: Volleyball,” along with a third course called “The Female and Male Athlete Triad.”

The curricula for “Collecting Statistics: Football” and “Collecting Statistics: Volleyball” is largely derived from the NFHS Statisticians’ Manual, a comprehensive publication first printed in 1997 in response to increasing demand for more accurate and consistent statistics gathering for high school sports. The original edition included proper stat-keeping procedures for high school football, basketball, baseball and softball, with volleyball being incorporated in 2003 and soccer in the most recent iteration.

Prospective course-takers should note that while the statistics courses briefly define the key terms in their respective sports, they do not delve into basic rules or game operations. Instead, the focus is on bringing situational scoring examples to life using visual aids, providing new statisticians with a glimpse of the different scenarios they will encounter during contests in 2024-25. Each course also features a printable stat worksheet in its “Resources” section, which can be used both to follow along with course materials, as well as on gameday.

“Collecting Statistics: Football” will instruct users on how to correctly record rushing and passing statistics, first downs, kickoffs and kickoff returns, fumbles, punts and punt returns, field goals, point-after-touchdown tries, blocked scrimmage kicks and returns, safeties, tackles and sacks, penalties, touchdowns, total offense and all-purpose yardage. “Collecting Statistics: Volleyball” will cover statistics for attacking, setting, blocks, serving, digs and ball-handling errors.

Courses for baseball, basketball, soccer and softball statistics gathering are slated as future additions to the NFHS Learning Center. 

 “The NFHS Learning Center is excited to unveil these two stat courses and we look forward to developing more for additional sports,” said Dan Schuster, NFHS director of educational services. “We hope to educate people and hopefully get more students, in particular, involved in collecting stats within interscholastic programs.”    

“The Female and Male Athlete Triad” was produced through the NFHS’ collaboration with the Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition and is designed to help parents, coaches and student-athletes identify the causes, symptoms and effects of the Athlete Triad, a complex health condition.

As the name suggests, the Athlete Triad is made up of three components – energy deficiency, reproductive dysfunction and compromised bone health – but stems from energy deficiency, defined as an athlete’s failure to consume enough calories relative to the time the athlete spends exercising.

The Athlete Triad can be developed in athletes playing any sport, at any level, and can lead to serious injury and long-term health issues if left untreated or treated incorrectly. It can often manifest itself as a minor injury – such as shin splints – in its early stages, making it very difficult for athletic trainers and medical professionals to properly diagnose, and underscoring the importance of increasing awareness among athletes and those who care for them on a routine basis.

In addition to an overview of the Athlete Triad, the course presents the potential health issues brought on by the disorder, tips for spotting an athlete who may be dealing with it, and the necessary steps to take from the onset of symptoms through a successful recovery.

“It was a pleasure working with Dr. Mary Jane De Souza and the Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition,” Schuster said. “We look forward to educating coaches and parents on this very important health and safety topic.”

More information on “Collecting Statistics: Football” and “Collecting Statistics: Volleyball” can be found at: https://nfhslearn.com/courses/collecting-statistics-football and https://nfhslearn.com/courses/collecting-statistics-volleyball, respectively, while those looking for more details on “The Female and Male Athlete Triad” should visit: https://nfhslearn.com/courses/the-female-and-male-athlete-triad.