Teamsports Participation And Development

U.S. Team Sports: Participation Trends And Potential Development

Participating in a team sport is a part of the American way of life - especially for children. Play on high school varsity teams is strong - up 27% from 1990. This is largely due to the surge in female participation, as girls now represent 41.5% of all high school varsity athletes. And, organized sports have thrived as studies show that more than twice as many young people play on an organized team than play on a non-organized or pickup team according to findings in SGMA International's report U.S.

Trends in Team Sports (2002 Edition)

While team sports remain a popular outlet for our free time, there are some obstacles which may hinder long-term growth.

Some of the principle reasons offered for the decline in pickup play of team sports are:

1) the rise of "alternative" sports, such as inline skating, skateboarding, and snowboarding;

2) the loss of free time to scheduled activities, including organized sports;

3) electronic diversions such as TV, video games and the Internet; and

4) the decline of physical education programs and recess.

Despite the concerns in the decline of pickup play in team sports, there are several factors supporting the growth of organized team sports.

* Girls are playing team sports in record numbers, as the number of females playing on high school varsity teams increased by 47% between 1990 and 2000, including a staggering 140% on the soccer field.

* There are nearly 50 million people in the 6 to 17 age group participating in team sports.

* Youngsters are attracted to the "traditional values" that these sports represent - sportsmanship, team building, and social development.

Listed below are other relevant details affecting the future of team sports in America.

* Though there continues to be a decline in casual players participating in team sports, avid participation (those playing 52+ days or more a year) has risen in soccer (by 59%) and in basketball (by 13%) since 1990.

* Basketball is the most popular high school sport for girls and the second most popular among boys. Over the past 10 years, the number of girls playing high school basketball has jumped 17% and the number of boys has increased 5%.

* Over the past two years, the number of frequent players in volleyball (those who played 25+ days or more in a year) has risen 36%.

* While slow-pitch softball play is slightly down from 1990, fast pitch softball totals have risen significantly.

* Soccer has become the hottest team sport with total participation up 19% in the last 10 years and frequent participation (those who played 52+ days or more in a year) up 59%.

* Lacrosse is quickly rising in popularity as the number of high school boys and girls lacrosse teams has almost tripled between 1990 and 2001, from 661 to 1,721.