SGMA

Data Shows Overall Sports/Fitness/Physical Activity Participation Dropped Last Year

Published April 24, 2012

Overall participation in U.S. sports, fitness and related physical activity leveled or slightly dropped from ’10 to ’11, according to recent data from SGMA. Individual, team and winter sports lost 1% of participants, while racquet sports lost 2%. Among team sports, wrestling saw the sharpest drop, down 22.3% from last year. Gymnastics saw the biggest jump among team sports (+9.2%). Listed below are participation levels for select sports over the last three years. Online interviews were conducted during January and February among a sample size of 38,172 (SGMA).

U.S. SPORTS PARTICIPATION AMONG INDIVIDUALS AGES 6+
SPORT	'11 (000)	'10 (000)	1-YR % +/-	'09 (000)	2-YR % +/-
AEROBIC ACTIVITIES
Running/jogging	50,061	46,650	7.3%	42,511	17.8%
High-impact aerobics	15,755	14,567	8.2%	12,771	23.4%
Stationary cycling (group)	8,738	7,854	11.3%	6,762	29.2%
CONDITIONING ACTIVITIES
Yoga	22,107	20,998	5.3%	18,934	16.8%
INDIVIDUAL SPORTS
Bowling	53,906	56,585	-4.7%	57,972	-7.0%
Golf	25,682	26,122	-1.7%	27,103	-5.2%
RACQUET SPORTS
Tennis	17,772	18,719	-5.1%	18,546	-4.2%
Racquetball	4,357	4,603	-5.3%	4,784	-8.9%
TEAM SPORTS
Basketball	24,790	25,156	-1.5%	25,131	-1.4%
Outdoor soccer	13,667	13,883	-1.6%	13,957	-2.1%
Baseball	13,561	14,198	-4.5%	14,429	-6.0%
Slow-pitch softball	7,809	8,477	-7.9%	9,180	-14.9%
Indoor volleyball	6,662	7,315	-8.9%	7,737	-13.9%
Tackle Football	6,448	6,850	-5.9%	7,243	-11.0%
Flag Football	6,325	6,660	-5.0%	6,932	-8.8%
Ultimate frisbee	4,868	4,571	6.5%	4,636	5.0%
Gymnastics	4,824	4,418	9.2%	3,952	22.1%
Indoor soccer	4,631	4,920	-5.9%	4,825	-4.0%
Track & field	4,341	4,383	-1.0%	4,480	-3.1%
Fast-pitch softball	2,400	2,513	-4.5%	2,476	-3.1%
Ice hockey	2,131	2,140	-0.4%	2,018	5.6%
Wrestling	1,971	2,536	-22.3%	3,170	-37.8%
Lacrosse	1,501	1,423	5.5%	1,162	29.2%
WINTER SPORTS
Skiing (downhill/alpine)	10,853	11,212	-3.2%	10,633	2.1%
Snowboarding	7,888	7,809	1.0%	7,290	8.2%

SOUNDS EXPENSIVE: The N.Y. TIMES looks at the growing marketplace for youth sports under the header, "Big Price Tags Attached To Even The Littlest Leagues," as "some parents now pay tens of thousands of dollars a year for youth sports." As of this morning, the story was among the most-read and most-emailed stories on NYTIMES.com (THE DAILY).