Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The US youth sports market
- Waning participation rates
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- Figure 1: Top 10 boys’ and girls’ sports and participants, with year-over-year change
- Importance and value of youth sports
- Safety is the number one concern
- Impact of COVID-19 on Youth Sports
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- Figure 2: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on nonprofessional sports and youth sports, May 2020
- Key takeaways
- Youth sports participation is widespread and diverse
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- Figure 3: Youth sports household participation, January 2020
- Children grow into the sports decision maker
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- Figure 4: Youth sports decision maker, by children in household, January 2020
- Parents are most wary of the safety of football and hockey
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- Figure 5: Perceived health risks, by sport, January 2020
- Youth sports activities are incredibly beneficial to children’s holistic health
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- Figure 6: Youth sports health benefits attitudes, January 2020
- Kids emulate and watch their favorite athletes
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- Figure 7: Professional sports influence on children, January 2020
- What it means
Impact of COVID-19 on Youth Sports
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- What you need to know
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- Figure 8: Short-, medium- and longer term impact of COVID-19 on non-professional sports and youth sports, May 2020
- Opportunities and Threats
- COVID-19 creates catastrophic financial impact on youth sports organizations
- The rise of low-contagion sports
- Personal and at home sporting equipment surges
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- Figure 9: Dick’s Sporting Goods promotes outdoor activities
- Youth eSports’ big break
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- Figure 10: KitKat becomes eSports sponsor
- Sharpening physical and educational skills virtually
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- Figure 11: Increasing use of virtual training programs
- Impact on the US youth sports market
- Waning participation rates / stoppage in play
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- Figure 12: Top 10 boys’ and girls’ sports and participants, with year over year change
- Figure 13: Core sport participation by demographic
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- Figure 14: Project Play’s “Don’t Retire, Kid” initiative
- Unemployment could lead to reduction in number of sports children play and a scale back on spending
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- Figure 15: Unemployment, January 2007-May 2020
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- Figure 16: Sports equipment condition, by children in household, January 2020
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- Figure 17: Providing support to youth sports programs
- How the COVID-19 crisis will affect youth sport’s key consumer segments
- Household income will create more of a divide in youth sports
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- Figure 18: Youth sports household participation, by number of sports played, by household income, January 2020
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- Figure 19: MLB reviving baseball in inner cities program
- Figure 20: Brands provide support for local youth sports
- Participation among younger children is most at risk
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- Figure 21: USA Field Hockey and US Lacrosse dual sport clinic for beginners
- How a COVID-19 recession will reshape the US youth sports industry
- Youth sports programs forced to fold
- Participation rates will falter yet again
- COVID-19: US Context
The Landscape – What You Need to Know
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- Importance and value of youth sports
- Demographics play a large part in youth sports participation rate
- Youth sports participation on the decline (even before COVID-19)
- Safety is the number one concern
- Increasing youth sports participation is a team effort
Sports Participation by Household
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- Youth sports participation is widespread and diverse
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- Figure 22: Youth sports household participation, January 2020
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- Figure 23: Youth sports household participation, by number of sports played, January 2020
- Age of children impacts choice of sport
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- Figure 24: Youth sports household participation, by children in household, January 2020
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- Figure 25: Youth sports household participation, by number of sports played, by children in household, January 2020
- Higher-income households have higher youth sports participation
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- Figure 26: Youth sports household participation, by household income, January 2020
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- Figure 27: Youth sports household participation, by number of sports played, by household income, January 2020
The Youth Sports Decline
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- Waning participation rates
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- Figure 28: Top 10 boys’ and girls’ sports and participants, with year-over-year change
- Figure 29: Core sport participation by demographic
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- Figure 30: Children quit sports by age 11 on average
- Safety cause for concern
- Measures to combat decline: Aspen Institute’s 8 Plays
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- Figure 31: New York Rangers promoting hockey in Harlem
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Children grow into the sports decision maker
- Safety is the number one concern for parents, especially for football and hockey
- Lack of interest is the number one barrier for children
- Children look to favorite athletes and brands when picking sports equipment
- Youth sports activities are beneficial to overall development
The Sports Decision Making
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- Children grow into the decision maker
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- Figure 32: Youth sports decision maker, by children in household, January 2020
- Enjoyment and talent drive participation decisions
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- Figure 33: Youth sports decision process, by children in household, January 2020
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- Figure 34: Youth sports decision process, by race and Hispanic origin, January 2020
Barriers for Parents and Children
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- Parents are most wary of the safety of football and hockey
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- Figure 35: Perceived health risks, by sport, January 2020
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- Figure 36: Youth tackle football falling participation figures
- Cost is the most important commitment
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- Figure 37: Commitments, by sport, January 2020
- Sports must increase interest to be considered
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- Figure 38: Barriers to participation for children, January 2020
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- Figure 39: Sports appeal through video games
Sports Equipment
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- Youth sports vary drastically in associated costs
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- Figure 40: Average annual family youth sports spending on one child, by sport and by expense
- I’ll wear what they’re wearing
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- Figure 41: Nike signature basketball shoes athletes
- Condition of sporting equipment
- Used equipment more common among younger athletes
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- Figure 42: Sports equipment condition, by children in household, January 2020
- Higher-income households look more to new equipment
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- Figure 43: Sports equipment condition, by household income, January 2020
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- Figure 44: Parental equipment purchasing attitudes, January 2020
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- Figure 45: Charities for youth sports in underprivileged communities
Parental Sporting Attitudes
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- Importance of youth sports for children’s health
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- Figure 46: Youth sports health benefits attitudes, January 2020
- Children should avoid early sport specialization
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- Figure 47: Steve Nash on importance of multisport youth athletes
- Figure 48: Multisport importance parental attitude, by education, January 2020
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- Figure 49: Youth sports household participation, by number of sports played, by education, January 2020
- Parental attendance at games is beneficial for both parents and children
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- Figure 50: Parents youth sports attendance, by household income, January 2020
- Kids want to be like their favorite players
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- Figure 51: Be Like Mike
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- Figure 52: Professional sports influence on children, January 2020
- Sports helps kids grow on and off the field
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- Figure 53: Youth sports development benefits, January 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Charts
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- Figure 54: Youth sports household participation, by race and Hispanic origin, January 2020
- Figure 55: Youth sports household participation, by geographic area, January 2020
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- Figure 56: Youth sports household participation, by number of sports played, by geographic area, January 2020
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- Figure 57: Youth sports decision maker, by gender, January 2020
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- Figure 58: Youth sports decision maker, by geographic area, January 2020
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- Figure 59: Permission to play, by sport, January 2020
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