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Increasing costs, declining participation and the importance of fun: How to win at youth sports

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Increasing costs, declining participation and the importance of fun: How to win at youth sports

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Increasing pressures, costs and demands of youth sports have contributed to a yearslong decline in youth sports participation in Ohio and across the United States.

In Ohio, the percentage of children aged 6-17 who participated in team sports or lessons outside of school dropped 4.7 points from 2016 to 2022, from 61% to 56.3.%. That decline was even more pronounced across the United States as a whole, with youth sports participation outside of school tumbling 7.3% in the same time frame.

There’s a range of reasons why kids stop playing sports, but one is common: They’re not having fun.

Nearly half (45%) of adults who played youth sports say they stopped playing because they weren’t having fun, according to a study from Ohio State University published in the Sociology of Sport Journal.

As parents and coaches, the question is simple: Why aren’t as many kids having fun playing sports?

The answer is often in the mirror.

The “professionalization” of youth sports has led to burnout for both young athletes (and often parents, too). In fact, 70% of kids stop playing sports before they’re even teenagers, largely due to burnout and injury, according to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Both factors can be reasonably attributed to the increasing demands and pressures, such as travel teams or specialized lessons, placed on children who simply want to play with their friends.

“We have to remember the two biggest reasons why kids play sports: One, they want to have fun, and two, they want to play with their friends,” said Ryan Virtue, senior regional partnership manager at the Positive Coaching Alliance, a national non-profit focused on youth sports.

In a partnership with WKYC called “How to win at youth sports (without going broke or breaking down),” cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer talked to experts, coaches and families about the current landscape and what we can do better to develop healthy, well-adjusted players.

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