U.S. youth sports participation tracked by the federal government rose to 58% in 2024, marking a significant one-year increase and nearly returning to its level almost a decade ago. Organized sports participation grew among boys, girls and all racial and ethnic groups, but the gap continued to widen based on household income.
Aspen Institute’s 63X30 Roundtable Launches National Effort to Support Sports Parents
The Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program’s 63X30 national roundtable—a coalition of 20 leading organizations including ESPN, Under Armour, NBC Sports Next, Gatorade, MLB, and the NBA—is launching a coordinated effort to better support sports parents and reignite youth sports participation nationwide.
Project Play Communities Council: How local philanthropy is mobilizing to support 63% by 2030
Currently, national participation in an organized sport is 54%. Urban, suburban and rural communities across the country are coming together to share knowledge about what’s working and how to solve issues around the barriers they are facing. Two philanthropic organizations, the Names Family Foundation (Tacoma, WA) and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation (Southeast Michigan and Western New York), and the Aspen Institute are partnering to bring together philanthropists and community leaders to reach that 63% through the Project Play Communities Council.