Asher Hyre is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Valley Lutheran High School for AZPreps365.com 

From youth leagues to the NFL, millions of Americans participate in football at all levels. However, with increasing concerns regarding long-term health for athletes of all ages who play  the contact sport, the number of high school students playing football has decreased by 5.3 percent since 2017, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. 

Just over 1 million boys and girls played high school football in 2019 (the most recent school year available in the annual NFHS survey), which is nearly 7 percent of all high school students in the country. This is a stark contrast when compared to Valley Lutheran High School in Phoenix. The small private school has an enrollment of just 134 students, but 30 of them, or 22.4 percent, are on the football team this season. Valley Lutheran’s team has also increased in the amount of football players each of the past three years, since head coach Brian Porter took over. 

“I think it helps being at a small school because kids have a bigger opportunity of playing, as opposed to bigger schools,” Porter said. “There are also no (junior varsity) sports, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Sometimes when you have to throw freshmen into the fire, it hurts them a little bit, but it does give them great experience.” 

The culture Porter has instilled in his three years as head coach is also an aspect of the team that has really taken shape, attracting more students to the program. 

“My second year here, it was not really a good culture, and we’ve been slowly building that to make this something that you’re proud to play for us,” Porter said. “It takes a lot of people to have 11-man (football) be successful, especially at the bigger level.” 

Athletic Director Bob Parsons has also taken notice of the culture buildup that has occurred the past few years, and gave credit to Porter’s development of the program. 

“Brian, in his third year as coach, has really developed a good culture, and the guys have bought in,” Parsons said. “Most kids join the team (in their) freshman year and continue playing. Very rarely do kids stop playing.” 

Junior offensive lineman Cale Mangels also mentioned the culture as a reason why so many students play. 

“This football team is close,” Mangels said. “The team is small, so we can kind of be

closer with each other, and we want to build each other up. … I enjoy every second of being out here because I get to see all my offensive lineman friends, build them up and have fun.” 

While the national average of high school students that play football has had a linear decrease in recent years, Valley Lutheran has increased in participation. It is safe to say the increase of a fun and caring community and culture in a violent contact sport is the main reason why so many students decide to participate.