Rankings in orange circles compare this sport with nine other sports offered for this gender before customization – meaning each of the three health categories is given an equal one-third weighting. The ranking is comprised of data collected or developed from various sources (75% of score) and expert opinion (25% of score). The healthiest sports in each of the three categories – physical activity, safety and psychosocial benefits – and in each data measurement are ranked No. 1. Note: Some sports did not have significant differences between each other in the data. Learn more about our methodology.
1st
out of 10
Physical Activity
Expert Opinion Rank: 1st Out of 10
Key Characteristics: Cross country’s physical activity at practices is the highest among the 10 girls sports studied by North Carolina State University. Cross country has 57.3 percent vigorous activity; the 10 girls sports average 39.6 percent. Thirty-four percent of cross country practice time focuses on fitness compared to 15 percent on skills.
1 North Carolina State University research observing high school athletes in North Carolina, 2017-18.
2nd
out of 10
Safety
10.7
Injury Rate2(5th out of 10)
6.3%
Injury Time/Loss3(2nd out of 10)
0
Catastrophic Rate4(T-1st out of 10)
0.9%
Injuries Requiring Surgery5(2nd out of 10)
0
Concussion Rate6(T-1st out of 10)
Expert Opinion Rank: 3rd Out of 10
Key Characteristics: Cross country has the second-lowest injury rate among girls sports, according to the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study. Leg, ankle, knee, hip and thigh injuries are the most common ailments. Very few injuries rise to the level of missing time or needing surgery.
2 Injury rate per 10,000 exposures, National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, 2016-17.
3 Percentage of all injuries resulting in greater than three weeks of time loss from the sport, National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, 2016-17.
4 Non-fatal catastrophic injury/illness rate per 100,000 exposures, National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, 1982-2016.
5 Percentage of all injuries requiring surgery, National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, 2016-17.
6 Concussion rate per 10,000 exposures, National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, 2016-17.
8th
out of 10
Psychosocial
Aspen Psychosocial Survey7
3.313
Personal Social Skills(10th out of 10)
2.279
Cognitive Skills(10th out of 10)
3.603
Goal-Setting(9th out of 10)
3.706
Initiative(T-7th out of 10)
3.628
Health(8th out of 10)
1.376
Negative Experiences(2nd out of 10)
Substance Abuse
Cigarette Use8
6.2%
(1st out of 10)
Binge Drinking9
13.8%
(1st out of 10)
Marijuana Use10
10.9%
(1st out of 10)
Academic Achievement
Cut Class11
22.9%
(1st out of 10)
A/A- Student12
56.1%
(2nd out of 10)
Graduate From College13
77.1%
(3rd out of 10)
Psychological health14
How We Define Our Metrics
4.13
Self-Esteem(T-5th out of 10)
1.97
Fatalism(1st out of 10)
3.9
Self-Efficacy(T-2nd out of 10)
2.77
Loneliness(7th out of 10)
1.98
Self-Derogation(T-2nd out of 10)
4.23
Social Support(T-7th out of 10)
Expert Opinion Rank: T-7th Out of 10
Key Characteristics: Cross country rates ninth among the 10 girls sports in the Aspen Institute/University of Texas psychosocial survey, though the gap isn’t large compared to No. 1 softball. Low substance abuse and high academic achievement are strengths for cross country. The sport has a higher level of loneliness than most girls sports, according to Women’s Sports Foundation data.
7 Aspen Institute/University of Texas psychosocial benefits survey of high school athletes nationally, 2018. Scoring ranges from 1-4, with 4 being the best except for the Negative Experiences category.
8 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
9 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport binge drinking alcohol in the past two weeks. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
10 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport using marijuana in the past 30 days. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
11 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport who cut class for a full day in the past month. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
12 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport who have an average grade of an A or A-. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
13 Percentage of high school seniors in the sport who expect to graduate from a four-year college. Data from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters.
14 Average scores of high school seniors in the sport in psychological health report card. Data for these six categories came from Monitoring the Future Study (2010-15) and analyzed by Women’s Sports Foundation in Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters. Scoring ranges from 1-5, with 5 being the best for self-esteem, self-efficacy and social support.