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Youth Sports Participation Statistics: Rates, Access and Trends

U.S. youth sports participation rates by age, income, state, school grade and sport, with survey definitions and limitations.

November 12, 2026 9 min read sporthold.com Editorial Team

Contents

Youth sports participation statistics: national participation rates

The national rate depends on what a survey counts. In the 2023–2024 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), 56.7% of U.S. youth ages 6–17 took part in a sports team or lessons after school or on weekends during the prior year, representing almost 28 million youth. The estimate is weighted for children living in U.S. households and reported by a parent or caregiver. Source: HRSA, National Survey of Children’s Health: Youth Sports Participation, 2023–2024 Data Brief

Healthy People 2030 presents NSCH estimates in pooled 2-year periods: 50.8% in 2020–2021 and 54.6% in 2022–2023. Census SIPP, using the distinct measure of extracurricular sports, found that 38.4% of children ages 6–17 participated in 2023, with no significant difference from 2019. These estimates should be read by their survey definitions, rather than treated as one continuous series. Sources: Healthy People 2030; U.S. Census Bureau

Survey measurePopulation and periodParticipation
NSCH: sports team or lessonsAges 6–17, 2020–202150.8%
NSCH: sports team or lessonsAges 6–17, 2022–202354.6%
NSCH: sports team or lessonsAges 6–17, 2023–202456.7%
Census SIPP: extracurricular sportsAges 6–17, 202338.4%

Sources for table: Healthy People 2030 HRSA [Census Bureau]

The CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) asks high school students whether they played on at least 1 school or community sports team in the past 12 months. In 2025, 57.6% of U.S. students in grades 9–12 answered yes. The similar-looking NSCH estimate covers ages 6–17 and also includes lessons, so the measures are not directly comparable. Source: CDC, Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2025

Youth sports participation statistics by age and sex

In 2023–2024, HRSA’s NSCH estimates were highest in the 9–11 and 12–14 age bands: 60.0% and 59.6%, respectively. Participation was 56.7% among ages 6–8 and 50.8% among ages 15–17. These are age-group comparisons, not evidence about why participation rates differ. Source: HRSA, National Survey of Children’s Health: Youth Sports Participation, 2023–2024 Data Brief

Healthy People 2030 reports different age bands for pooled 2022–2023 NSCH data: 55.7% for ages 6–9, 57.6% for ages 10–13 and 50.7% for ages 14–17. The differing age boundaries and periods matter when comparing these estimates with HRSA’s 2023–2024 figures. Source: Healthy People 2030, Increase the proportion of children and adolescents who play sports — Data

HRSA found 60.7% participation among boys and 52.6% among girls in 2023–2024. In the pooled 2022–2023 NSCH table, rates were 59.2% for males and 49.9% for females. The source labels and survey periods are retained here because the figures come from distinct reporting vintages. Sources: HRSA; Healthy People 2030

GroupParticipation rateSurvey period
Boys60.7%NSCH, 2023–2024
Girls52.6%NSCH, 2023–2024
Male59.2%NSCH, 2022–2023
Female49.9%NSCH, 2022–2023

Sources for table: HRSA [Healthy People 2030]

For high school students in 2025, 60.5% of males and 54.6% of females reported playing on a team in the prior 12 months. YRBS covers grades 9–12 and team play, unlike the broader NSCH age range and team-or-lessons question. Source: CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2025

Youth sports participation statistics by family income and access

Income subgroups show wide differences within the NSCH measure. In 2023–2024, participation ranged from 36.7% among youth in families below 100% of the poverty threshold to 74.1% among those in families at or above 400%. The 2022–2023 NSCH table gives four income bands: 34.8% below 100%, 42.5% at 100–199%, 55.0% at 200–399% and 72.4% at 400% or more of the poverty threshold. These are family income ratios to the poverty threshold, not dollar amounts. Sources: HRSA; Healthy People 2030

Census SIPP’s 2023 extracurricular-sports measure reported 22.7% below poverty, 27.3% at 100–199% of poverty and 44.8% at 200% or more. Because this is a different survey question and source, its levels are best kept separate from the NSCH series. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, A Child’s Day: Parental Interaction, Extracurricular Activities, and School Engagement: 2023

Family income relative to poverty thresholdNSCH, 2022–2023Census SIPP, 2023
Below 100%34.8%22.7%
100–199%42.5%27.3%
200–399%55.0%—
200% or more—44.8%
400% or more72.4%—

Sources for table: Healthy People 2030 [Census Bureau]

Other 2022–2023 NSCH household measures also varied. Participation was 27.0% when the most highly educated adult age 25 or older had less than high school education; 36.0% for high school education; 48.1% for some college or an associate degree; and 69.1% for a 4-year college degree or more. This subgroup describes the adult’s education, not the child’s. Source: Healthy People 2030, Increase the proportion of children and adolescents who play sports — Data

Rates by insurance status were 55.9% among insured children, 67.1% with private insurance, 37.5% with public insurance and 38.2% among uninsured children. By residence, the same NSCH period showed 54.8% in metropolitan areas and 53.4% in non-metropolitan areas. These subgroup estimates describe reported differences; they do not establish that insurance or residence caused them. Source: Healthy People 2030, Increase the proportion of children and adolescents who play sports — Data

Youth sports participation statistics by state

For 2023–2024, HRSA’s NSCH state estimates ranged from 46.3% in Nevada to 70.9% in New Hampshire, a 24.6-percentage-point spread. HRSA identifies the listed estimates as significantly higher or lower than the U.S. overall; the figures below retain that grouping. Source: HRSA, National Survey of Children’s Health: Youth Sports Participation, 2023–2024 Data Brief

Among states listed significantly higher than the U.S. overall, rates were New Hampshire 70.9%, Vermont 69.7%, Massachusetts 66.8%, North Dakota 66.3%, Nebraska 66.2%, Minnesota 65.4%, South Dakota 65.2%, Colorado 64.5%, Kansas 64.0%, Connecticut 63.9%, Iowa 63.9%, Illinois 63.5%, Hawaii 63.4%, Wyoming 62.5%, Missouri 62.1%, Wisconsin 61.9%, Oregon 61.7%, Maine 61.6%, Montana 61.5%, Rhode Island 61.5% and Ohio 60.9%. The District of Columbia was also listed at 65.8%. Source: HRSA, National Survey of Children’s Health: Youth Sports Participation, 2023–2024 Data Brief

Those listed significantly lower than the U.S. overall were Nevada at 46.3%, Delaware at 48.2%, Alabama and Arkansas at 50.5% each, New Mexico and West Virginia at 50.8% each, Texas at 51.0%, Florida and Kentucky at 51.3% each, and Louisiana at 52.5%. These are pooled 2023–2024 estimates for ages 6–17, not measurements for the current year. Source: HRSA, National Survey of Children’s Health: Youth Sports Participation, 2023–2024 Data Brief

A separate Census SIPP breakdown found extracurricular-sports participation of 37.0% among children ages 6–11 and 39.7% among ages 12–17 in 2023. These broad age groups do not map directly to HRSA’s state estimates. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, A Child’s Day: Parental Interaction, Extracurricular Activities, and School Engagement: 2023

Youth sports participation in high school: team participation and sports

YRBS estimates show 57.6% of U.S. high school students played on at least 1 school or community sports team in the prior 12 months in 2025, compared with 51.9% in 2023. The report classifies the change as an increase. This is a student survey measure of team participation, not a count of school roster places. Source: CDC, Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2025

Rates by grade in 2025 were 61.2% for ninth graders, 60.2% for tenth graders, 57.3% for eleventh graders and 50.7% for twelfth graders. The cross-sectional grade comparison does not show whether the same students stopped participating as they progressed through school. Source: CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2025

YRBS subgroup estimates were 40.6% among American Indian or Alaska Native students, 47.3% among Asian students, 55.4% among Black students, 51.5% among Hispanic or Latino students, 62.1% among White students and 62.5% among multiracial students. All refer to grades 9–12 and team play in the prior 12 months. Source: CDC, Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2025

Youth sports participation patterns by sport and physical activity

SFIA reported a record 33.3 million Americans ages 6–17 played at least 1 team sport in 2025. Of these youth team-sport participants, 20.5 million, or 61.6%, qualified as CORE participants, described as frequent participation. CORE shares were 59.0% among team-sport participants ages 6–12 and 65.1% among those ages 13–17. The SFIA survey definition differs from NSCH’s team-or-lessons measure. Source: SFIA, Youth Team Sports Participation Reaches Record High as SFIA Unveils Age-by-Age Analysis

Sport-specific changes from 2019 to 2025 were mixed. Core tennis participation increased 72% among ages 6–12 and 46% among ages 13–17; core golf participation increased 55% and 73%, respectively. Flag football participation increased 26% among ages 6–12 and stayed flat among ages 13–17. Tackle football participation declined 7% among ages 6–12 and 3% among ages 13–17. These figures cover the full 2019–2025 comparison period. Source: Project Play, Youth sports participation report: Tennis, golf see biggest gains in 2025

Soccer core participation among ages 6–12 increased 7% from 2019 to 2025. In 2025 age-specific data, soccer participation was 21% among 6-year-olds. Baseball participation was 18% at age 6 and 12% at age 17; basketball was 19% among 6-year-olds, nearly 29% at age 13 and 24% among 17-year-olds. The report describes basketball as the most played youth sport through age 17. Source: Project Play, Youth sports participation report: Tennis, golf see biggest gains in 2025

NSCH also compares physical activity and other outcomes by sports participation. In 2023–2024, 21.7% of sports participants and 17.0% of nonparticipants met the guideline of at least 60 minutes of activity every day. For activity on 4–6 days of the prior week, the figures were 37.4% and 16.7%. Limited weekday screen time, defined as 2 hours or less excluding schoolwork, was reported for 54.3% of participants and 43.1% of nonparticipants. Adequate sleep was reported for 68.9% and 60.3%; the definition was 9 or more hours on most weeknights for ages 6–12 and 8 or more hours for ages 13–17. These are cross-sectional associations and do not establish cause or direction. Source: HRSA, National Survey of Children’s Health: Youth Sports Participation, 2023–2024 Data Brief

The same brief found that 81.3% of sports participants had no difficulty making or keeping friends, compared with 67.8% of nonparticipants. Obesity prevalence was 12.7% among participants and 20.9% among nonparticipants. Current anxiety diagnosis was 10.9% versus 16.4%, and current depression diagnosis was 3.3% versus 7.6%. These comparisons describe reported outcomes in the survey, not effects caused by sports. Source: HRSA, National Survey of Children’s Health: Youth Sports Participation, 2023–2024 Data Brief

Census SIPP found that in 2023, 7.3% of children ages 6–17 participated in sports and lessons only, 5.9% in sports and clubs only, and 6.8% in all 3 activities: sports, lessons and clubs. For all 3 activities, the rates were 7.0% among ages 6–11 and 6.6% among ages 12–17. Among school-enrolled children ages 6–17, 34.5% of sports participants were highly engaged in school, compared with 24.7% of nonparticipants. This is an association in 2023 SIPP data, not evidence that sports participation caused higher school engagement. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, A Child’s Day: Parental Interaction, Extracurricular Activities, and School Engagement: 2023

Sources

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