Study: Fewer Kids Playing Sports Due to High Costs
Professional sports organizations might soon be facing a shortage of athletes, a new report suggests!
A survey released Friday by the Aspen Institute reveals 38 percent of U.S. children between the ages of 6 and 12 participated in youth sports programs in 2018. That figure is down from 45 percent 10 years earlier. The reason? Money!
According to the study, “Children from low-income families are half as likely to play sports as kids from upper-income homes.”
Removing kids from sports when they’re young means fewer high school and college athletes for professional teams to mine, says sports writer Mike Gunzelman.
“The average family will spend about $700 per year on it, but some families spend upwards of $30,000 for their kids per year on sports,” Gunzelman says. THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY!
