5 Tips to Boost Youth Sports Participation
By Taryn Pratte
37% of younger children played youth sports on a regular basis in 2021, down from 38% in 2019 and 2020 and 45% in 2008. This number definitely declined in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has yet to return to the levels seen in the early 2000s (Jersey Watch 2025).
Youth sports participation has been on a downward trend in recent years, a shift that’s concerning for the health and development of future generations. By the time kids reach high school, many have stopped playing the sports they participated in during middle school.
This decline matters because sports deliver immense benefits: improved physical health, teamwork skills, discipline, and social growth. Many studies and research show that kids who play sports are more likely to see academic success in school.
So, what’s driving the drop in participation?
As sports shift from play to pressure, many kids lose interest. Leagues, coaches, and parents must work together to reverse this trend and keep kids engaged. To reverse the decline in youth sports, we need to make sports more accessible, inclusive, and enjoyable for all kids.
Here’s how.
1. Make It Fun & Engaging
Kids are naturally drawn to play, and sports should be an extension of that instinct. A fun, stress-free environment where enjoyment matters more than perfection keeps kids engaged and excited to return.
Coaches can keep energy high by incorporating creativity into drills. Turning sprints into relay races, adding silly challenges like “score a goal with your non-dominant foot,” or letting kids create their own goal celebrations adds an element of playfulness. Kids may get bored doing the same drills repeatedly, so introducing new skills in engaging ways keeps them eager to learn. A fun sports experience lays the foundation for a lifelong love of the sport.
Create more opportunity for involvement with small-sided games, where kids get more touches on the ball and more chances to be involved, making participation more exciting.
Give stickers, team points, or small prizes to reward effort and boost motivation. Celebrating progress, teamwork, and sportsmanship rather than talent makes every child feel valued and build valuable skills.
Even beyond the field, leagues can use tools like Stride Events to keep the fun going. With features like automated reminder emails and social media sharing incentives, families stay connected and excited about upcoming sports seasons. A quick Facebook share of the team’s registration page can even earn parents a small discount – bringing more players (and their friends!) into the game.
2. Focus on Skill Development Over Winning
While competition can be motivating, placing too much emphasis on winning can discourage kids, especially those who are still developing their skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics reveals that 70% of kids quit sports by age 13, often due to excessive pressure to perform (AAP 2024).
One of the best ways to promote skill development is by setting individual goals alongside team goals. Whether it’s improving their passing accuracy, learning a new dribbling move, or increasing endurance, personal milestones help kids see their progress and build confidence.
Feedback should be constructive and focused on effort rather than just results. Instead of saying, “You missed too many shots today,” a coach could say, “I love how you kept shooting – let’s work on adjusting your angle to make more of those shots count.” This approach builds self-esteem and encourages continuous learning.
Create a safe space where kids aren’t afraid to fail. Mistakes should be seen as learning opportunities rather than failure.
3. Encourage Early Involvement
Starting your child in sports at a young age lays the foundation for a lifetime of benefits. Early participation builds motor skills, coordination, and a love for movement. It also introduces them to important life skills like teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. Children who begin sports early are more likely to stay involved as they grow, keeping them active and reducing the risk of unhealthy habits like excessive screen time.
Beyond physical health, early sports participation has been linked to improved academic performance, lower stress levels, and higher self-esteem, setting kids up for success both on and off the field (President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (PCSFN) Science Board Resources for Youth Sports 2020).
While there are many advantages to early sports involvement, parents often face challenges like the costs of gear or the time commitment of shuttling kids to practices and games. To make participation more manageable, consider buying second-hand equipment or look for hand-me-downs from friends or family, or coordinating carpools with other team parents. These strategies can reduce some of the common barriers to youth sports, making it easier for your child to enjoy the benefits of active participation.
When logistical stress is reduced for parents and coaches, they can focus more on skill development and mentorship. Stride Events simplifies the administrative side with features like series registration and group discounts, helping coaches and families spend more time on development and less time dealing with paperwork.
4. Get Parents Involved (The Right Way!)
When parents understand that youth sports are about fun, development, and teamwork rather than just winning, kids are more likely to stay engaged and enjoy the experience. A study from The Ohio State University found that adults who played sports as kids scored higher on grit than those who didn’t, with 34% of former youth athletes rating high on grit compared to 23% of non-athletes. Plus, the Women’s Sports Foundation reports that kids who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem, key ingredients for lifelong resilience and connection.
Parents play a crucial role in a child’s sports experience. While supportive parents can encourage participation, overly competitive or critical attitudes can have the opposite effect. Leagues can help by educating parents on the importance of positive reinforcement and sportsmanship. Providing volunteer opportunities like assistant coaching, organizing team events, or handling logistics, can give parents a productive way to be involved. With Stride Events’ integration with Come Volunteer, leagues can easily manage volunteer sign-ups and even automatically offer discounts on sports registrations for parent coaches.
By creating a culture where parents uplift rather than pressure their children, leagues can help young athletes reap the lifelong benefits of sports while actually enjoying the game.
5. Make Costs Manageable
One of the biggest barriers to youth sports participation is cost. Registration fees, equipment, travel, and club dues can add up quickly. Time commitments can also be overwhelming, especially for kids and parents balancing multiple activities.
When the barriers to entry are lower, more kids can get in the game. Stride Events helps leagues simplify registration without requiring sign-ins or account creation. Their user-friendly, two-page form allows parents to register multiple children in a single transaction, with group discounts automatically applied.
For city leagues that struggle to recruit volunteers, Stride Events’ Come Volunteer platform offers built-in volunteer management and even allows leagues to incentivize coaches with auto-generated discounts for their own children’s registration.
Tools like automated abandoned cart reminders ensure busy parents finish the sign-up process, reducing missed registrations. With fewer logistical headaches and smarter technology, youth sports become more accessible and more sustainable for families and organizers.
Sources
https://www.jerseywatch.com/blog/youth-sports-statistics
https://odphp.health.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/YSS_Report_OnePager_2020-08-31_web.pdf
https://news.osu.edu/sports-help-kids-develop-important-trait-linked-to-adult-success/
https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/advocacy/benefits-sports-participation-girls-women/
