Americans overwhelmingly see major benefits to children playing organized sports, a new poll finds, but higher-income families are more likely to participate. Learning teamwork and reducing screen time are among the perceived benefits of youth sports, according to the AP-Ipsos survey.
Benefits of Youth Sports
About half of U.S. parents with K-12 school-aged children say their kids play a structured sport, but participation is higher among more affluent families. About 7 in 10 K-12 parents with a household income of at least $100,000 annually say their children play organized sports, compared to about 4 in 10 parents with a lower household income.
Despite the demands and hefty cost, K-12 sports parents overwhelmingly say the benefits of youth sports outweigh the drawbacks. Most see major benefits to kids playing youth sports, including learning to deal with adversity, improving physical fitness, learning teamwork, making friends, reducing technology time, and learning about hard work and commitment.
Challenges and Costs
Scheduling and costs present challenges for some sports parents. About 8 in 10 say that scheduling and logistics — or the time commitment — present a ‘major’ or ‘minor’ challenge for their household. Roughly 7 in 10 say the same about team or club fees, the amount of travel involved, and the equipment or uniform costs.
About two-thirds of K-12 parents with at least one child playing sports estimate spending up to $2,000 annually on equipment, fees, training, and travel for youth athletics. More affluent sports parents spend about the same amount yearly as less affluent sports parents, which underscores the additional financial burden for lower-income families.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
