The new members are chosen based on a variety of factors, these include: campus leadership, a solid academic record, and athletic participation.

A five or six year career of athletic participation was not unusual at that time (www.miaa.org accessed 10/15/08).

Students must not accept any prizes, merchandise, money or anything that can be exchanged for athletic participation.

Since then it has been credited with greatly increasing female athletic participation in both high school and college.

Its programs focus on all levels of athletic participation, though most are executed at the high school, college and professional levels.

The benefits of athletic participation are extensively documented, especially for girls.

African women are only now beginning to emerge as a new force in track and field, after years of cultural attitudes that discouraged athletic participation.

The study found no evidence that athletic participation was a detriment to getting good grades for any of the groups.

Compared to boys, girls in immigrant families report lower rates of athletic participation.

"We don't want to discourage children from athletic participation," he said.