The Aspen Institute recently issued its annual report on kids' sports called "State of Play 2022." The Aspen Institute is an organization that studies lots of important issues, including kids' sports.
The report is full of interesting facts and trends that have occurred in the games kids play. So let's take a look.
Here are the five favorite competitive sports among kids ages 6 to 12:
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Football, if you combine tackle and flag.
- (Bike riding is still kids' favorite activity.)
The big surprise on the list is tennis. There was a 29 percent growth of kids who played tennis on a regular basis between 2019 and 2021.
It makes sense that kids might want to play tennis during the coronavirus pandemic. The sport is a great workout, and you don't get close to your opponent during a match.
Another racket game that grew like wild is pickleball. The sport with the funny name is popular with grandparents, but kids like to play, too. Pickleball grew an amazing 83 percent from 2019 to 2021, attracting almost a half-million regular players among people ages 6 to 17.
One reason for pickleball's popularity among young people is that a big star in professional pickleball is a teenager: 15-year-old Anna Leigh Waters.
One sport that has fallen in popularity is tackle football. Participation in the rough-and-tumble sport among kids ages 6 to 12 has gone down 29 percent from 2016 to 2021. Clearly, parents are worried about kids getting their bodies - including their brains - injured.
That doesn't mean kids aren't playing football. Participation in flag football - a gentler game in which players "tackle" other players by taking a flag from their belt - grew 15 percent during the same period. Now more kids play flag football than tackle football.
The report revealed some other trends in the past few years. Some good and some not so good.
A good trend is that more parents and their kids are staying closer to home to play sports. More than half of kids (58 percent) have played their primary sport in a community-based program this fall (up from 38 percent last fall). That's great, because community-based teams are less-expensive than travel teams and let more kids play.
Unfortunately, some kids seem to have lost interest in playing sports during the pandemic. Team sports participation is down. Only 37 percent of kids ages 6 to 12 played sports on a regular basis in 2021. That's way down from 2008, when 45 percent of kids played sports.
But even worse is that 27 percent of parents report that their kids' lack of interest in sports is what is keeping them from playing.
Hopefully that will change in 2023, and more kids will be on the courts and fewer on the couch.
Fifteen-year-old Anna Leigh Waters plays in a September women's pro singles match against Anna Bright during a Professional Pickleball Association tournament in Mason, Ohio. MUST CREDIT: Photo for The Washington Post by Arden S. Barnes.
As an enthusiast deeply engaged in the field of youth sports, I find the Aspen Institute's annual report on kids' sports, titled "State of Play 2022," particularly intriguing. The Aspen Institute, renowned for its comprehensive studies on significant societal issues, including youth sports, provides a valuable lens through which we can examine the evolving landscape of kids' physical activities.
Let's delve into the key concepts presented in the article:
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Annual Report by the Aspen Institute:
- The Aspen Institute is a highly respected organization known for its thorough research on various crucial topics, including kids' sports.
- The annual report titled "State of Play 2022" is a cornerstone in understanding the current trends, challenges, and developments in youth sports.
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Top Five Competitive Sports Among Kids (Ages 6-12):
- Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Tennis, and Football (combined tackle and flag) are the top five favorite competitive sports among kids.
- Notably, bike riding remains the favorite overall activity for kids.
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Surge in Tennis and Pickleball Participation:
- Tennis experienced a remarkable 29 percent growth in regular participation among kids from 2019 to 2021.
- Pickleball, known for its popularity among grandparents, saw an astounding 83 percent increase in participation among individuals aged 6 to 17 during the same period.
- The rise in pickleball's popularity is attributed, in part, to the presence of a teenage star, 15-year-old Anna Leigh Waters, in professional pickleball.
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Changing Trends in Football Participation:
- Tackle football witnessed a decline in popularity, with a 29 percent decrease in participation among kids aged 6 to 12 from 2016 to 2021.
- Concerns about injuries, including those to the brain, are likely contributing to this decline.
- Conversely, flag football, a gentler alternative, experienced a 15 percent increase in participation during the same period, surpassing tackle football in popularity among kids.
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Shift Towards Community-Based Sports Programs:
- A positive trend is the increasing preference for community-based sports programs, with 58 percent of kids playing their primary sport in such programs in the fall of 2022, up from 38 percent the previous fall.
- Community-based teams are favored for their lower costs compared to travel teams, allowing more kids to participate.
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Challenges in Kids' Sports Participation During the Pandemic:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced sports participation, with a notable decrease in team sports engagement.
- Only 37 percent of kids aged 6 to 12 played sports regularly in 2021, down from 45 percent in 2008.
- A concerning aspect is that 27 percent of parents attribute their kids' lack of interest in sports as the primary reason for non-participation.
In conclusion, the Aspen Institute's report sheds light on the dynamic landscape of kids' sports, reflecting changing preferences, emerging trends, and challenges, with a hope for a resurgence in youth sports participation in the coming years.
