NFHS #MyReasonWhy campaign begins second year

INDIANAPOLIS — The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is beginning the second year of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, which is designed to showcase the tremendous value that high school sports and activities offer to students.

In the first year of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, more than 500 unique stories were submitted through the campaign website from students, coaches and administrators, which re-affirmed that high school students involved in education-based activity programs demonstrate a higher level of academic performance and set themselves up for successful careers following high school graduation.

The #MyReasonWhy campaign is another effort by the NFHS and its 51 member associations (50 states plus the District of Columbia) to ensure that education-based programs are available for years to come. The goal of this national campaign is to demonstrate why participation in high school sports has increased every year for the past 28 years, and why participation in school-based sports and activities provides students the best opportunities for success.

With the official launch of the campaign today, the NFHS and its member state associations will begin to distribute key messages about high school sports and activities, namely that they are fun, add value to the participant and help develop the whole individual. This year, these messages also will be directed to students in middle schools to encourage their continued participation in sports and activities in high school. In addition, the values of these programs will be directed to parents, coaches, officials and community members.

An interactive website has been created at www.MyReasonWhy.com to house all materials related to this year’s campaign, including the stories submitted by students, coaches and administrators last year. The social media campaign will be expanded this year through the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube platforms and will target middle school parents, administrators and coaches.

Other components of this year’s campaign include posters to display in classrooms and locker rooms, regular op-ed newspaper articles co-authored by NFHS Executive Director Bob Gardner and the respective state association executive director, and radio public-service announcements.

The #MyReasonWhy campaign has a fresh look this year, making it easier for students and others to share why sports and activities are important to them. Using the #MyReasonWhy hashtag and by visiting the www.MyReasonWhy.com website, the NFHS anticipates a surge in stories from students across the country who are eager to share their experiences.

“We are excited to introduce the second year of the #MyReasonWhy campaign,” Gardner said. “This campaign has proved to be yet another avenue to spread the message about the values of these programs to young people. We have enjoyed reading the story submissions of why students, parents, coaches, officials and community members are involved in high school activities, and we are pleased to share those stories across the country via the new campaign website.”

The launch of the #MyReasonWhy campaign also coincides with National High School Activities Month, which was started in 1980 as National High School Activities Week to increase the public’s awareness of the values and needs of interscholastic activity programs. The foundation for National High School Activities Month is like the principles of the #MyReasonWhy campaign, looking to remind students, parents, coaches, officials and others in our communities about the value of education-based activities in their daily lives.