WASHINGTON (AP) – While participation among boys has declined, children and teens playing sports overall have increased, according to an annual study released Wednesday.
Girls participation was at its highest level since at least 2012, due in part to the phenomenal rise of University of Iowa star Caitlin Clark, an Indiana Fever star, that has made young people want to play basketball. He studies at the Aspen Institute.
The group found that in 2022, 53.8% of youth ages 6-17 participated in sports in the 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health, administered by the US Census Bureau.
The Sports and Fitness Industry Association, which tracks youth participation in sports, reported a 6% increase in the number of youth regularly participating in team sports in 2023, the highest since 2015 (39.8%).
However, SFIA data found that only 41% of boys regularly participated in sport in 2023, down from 10 years ago when half of all boys participated.
According to the study, federal government data also shows that the number of boys has declined over the past decade, although not as sharply.
In 2023, 34 percent of girls ages 6-12 and 38 percent of girls ages 13-17 participated in sports, the highest level in any recent year since at least 2012.
Tom Cove, SFIA general counsel and former president/CEO, said the change was significant and “why it happened is a mystery to me.”
Cove speculated that it became harder to build teams and that when boys missed the cut, they stopped playing. According to him, girls are not cut as often as boys.
“In my opinion, youth sports has become a self-fulfilling prophecy around travel and competition, and when you’re cut, there’s not enough room to play,” Cove said.
Black children are playing fewer sports than they used to, while Hispanic participation is increasing. SFIA data shows that 35% of Black youth ages 6-17 played regular sports in 2023, down from 45% in 2013, when Black children played at higher rates than their white peers. White, Hispanic, and Asian American children all played sports more often than Black youth in 2023.
The study said the increase among girls can be attributed in part to Clark’s performance on the court.
“His deep shooting range inspires young players and could change the women’s game the way NBA star Stephen Curry changed the men’s game more than a decade ago,” the study said.
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