Ljubljana High Schools Report Sharp Drop in Track and Field Participation

Enrollment in Ljubljana high school athletics programs fell to 1,920 students this academic year, down from 2,180 the previous season, according to data compiled by the City of Ljubljana Youth Sports Office.

The decline arrives at a moment when many secondary schools report heavier academic loads and more students balancing part-time jobs along the Dunajska cesta corridor. Schools have noted that after-school slots once filled by afternoon training now compete with tutoring sessions or shifts at nearby retail outlets in the Šiška district.

Programs at Stožice and Tivoli show uneven results

At Stožice Sports Park the athletics section run in partnership with the Ljubljana Athletics Club recorded 680 participants, a 9 percent drop from 2024. Meanwhile the Tivoli Recreation Centre track group, which draws students from Gimnazija Bežigrad and nearby vocational schools, held steady at 410 sign-ups after adding a new Saturday morning session priced at 38 euros for the semester. Both venues sit within easy reach of tram lines that students use after classes end at 2:30 p.m.

City records list 14 public high schools feeding into these two main sites, with the largest feeder groups coming from the Bežigrad and Vič neighborhoods. The Youth Sports Office report also notes that schools farther from the city center, such as those in Polje, saw steeper drops because travel time to training exceeds 40 minutes each way.

Numbers point to wider habits

The participation figures align with a March 2026 survey of 1,450 Ljubljana teenagers that found 62 percent now list screen-based activities as their primary after-school pursuit, up from 48 percent two years earlier. Average monthly spending on fitness-related activities among the same group sits at 27 euros, below the 45 euros recorded in 2023. These patterns emerge against a backdrop of stable city funding for school sports, which allocated 1.2 million euros this year to maintain facilities and subsidize coach salaries.

Parents can still register students for the autumn term through the online portal operated by the Youth Sports Office until 25 August. Slots at Stožice and Tivoli remain open for the 15-17 age group, with the office advising families to check bus connections from their neighborhood before committing.