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Y outh sports remain in a dynamic phase, increasingly disrupted by technology such as artificial intelli- gence, the professional leagues-driven growth of sports such as flag football and NCAA-driven shis that opened the door to NIL cash and influence. Making sense of it all is a real challenge, especially since the COVID pandemic hit in 2020. Accepting that challenge is a recent report from the Aspen Institute's Sports & Society Program that analyzes the state of play for young people in the United States through the values of its signature initiative Project Play, which helps leaders build healthy com- munities through sports. e group gathers data from a range of sources, consults with experts and highlights trends that can help paint a picture of how well children are being served by adults in the world of sport. e results are, indeed, illuminating. e National Survey of Children's Health shows that 53.8 percent of youth ages 6-17 played sports in 2022, the first year that could be considered "post-pandemic." And the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which tracks participation by sport and has a one- year lag, found that 2023 showed a six percent one-year uptick of children ages 6-17 regularly participating in a team sport, the highest rate (39.8 percent) since 2015. Other factors influencing sports participa- tion that are just starting to be understood include Caitlin Clark's inspiration to girls, investments by private equity and the impact on the health of athletes and delivery of sports due to more extreme weather caused by cli- mate change. Several data points emerging in 2024 present new challenges: • Fewer boys are playing sports. In 2013, half of boys ages 6-17 participated regularly in sports, according to SFIA. Only 41 percent of boys did in 2023. Girls ages 6-12 (34 percent) and 13-17 (38 percent) played at higher levels in 2023 than in any recent year dating to at least 2012. Federal government data also shows a decline for boys over the past decade, although not as steep. • Black children are playing sports less than they once did — and Hispanic children are playing more. SFIA data shows that only 35 percent of Black youth ages 6-17 regularly participated in sports during 2023, down from 45 percent in 2013, when Black children played at a higher rate than White peers. White, Hispanic and Asian children played sports more frequently in 2023 than Black youth. Participation by Hispanic children increased 14 percent in 2023 to its highest since 2016. • Children are specializing in one sport even more aer the pandemic. e average number of sports children ages 6-17 regularly played in 2023 was 1.63, down 13 percent since 2019, according to SFIA. A decade ago, children used to average more than two sports played. All of this data points to the fact that the ecosystem of youth sports and recreation is constantly evolving. e Aspen Institute's Project Play initiative evaluated 10 trends from 2024 that are worth watching in the years ahead. 1. The Caitlin Clark effect is impacting youth sports. No American athlete took the world by storm in 2024 quite like Clark, the University of Iowa and WBNA rookie star. TV viewer- ship, ticket sales and merchandise sales all skyrocketed. What's this mean for children in YOUTH SPORTS: DISRUPTION IS THE NEW NORMAL A REVEALING NEW REPORT EXAMINES THE STATE OF YOUTH SPORTS AND IDENTIFIES 10 TRENDS TO WATCH. BY MICHAEL JACOBSEN PRIVATE EQUITY – an industry famous for squeezing out value – claims it will make sports better for families who are used to an expensive, high-pressure experience. 34 • January/February 2025 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com TEAM

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