Organized Sports Dominate - Brief Article

Camping Magazine, July, 2001

More than half (54 percent) of all young people ages six to seventeen are members of at least one organized sports team, according to research sponsored by Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. The study found that 26.2 million youngsters are on an organized team, another 10 million play team sports on a pickup basis, and about 12 million aren't involved in team sports at all.

"The clear sense of our research over the years is that participation in organized sports has been growing while casual, pickup play has been in serious decline," says Gregg Hartley, SGMA vice president.

Organized basketball attracts the most members, followed by soccer, baseball, slow-pitch softball, and tackle football. Girls account for 44 percent of all team members.