Why is Participation in Recreational and High School Sports Declining?
Participation in sports has always been an important part of my life. My parents always encouraged me to play sports from a young age. I still remember going to soccer practice the first time and there were hundreds of children all over the soccer fields. There were so many different teams that we usually only played each team once in a season. Nobody kept score in the games. It was all about having some wholesome fun and getting exercise. The thing that I have noticed every year is that the number of kids playing continues to decline. The numbers are dropping not just in soccer but in other sports as well. There are many different reasons for declining participation in sports and maybe some changes could be made to encourage more kids to stay active.
One of the main reasons that kids stop playing sports is the cost. If you play recreational sports, you have to register to play in a league and you also have to buy equipment to play. For a game like soccer, the biggest expense would be soccer shoes and shin guards. Most soccer leagues supply shorts and team jerseys to players. If you look at a game like hockey, which requires players to buy more expensive equipment, cost can easily be a barrier. Players also have to pay registration fees to cover the cost of ice rental for practices and games. The high cost of playing sports could be one reason why participation in sports is declining. If you choose to play for your high school team in volleyball and basketball, there is also a cost involved. One option may be to waive the cost of fees to play on high school teams or have players do some fundraising in order to reduce the costs.
Another reason for declining participation in sports is the sheer focus on “winning”. High school sports teams often have tryouts and typically, only the best players are selected for the team. If you are not selected to play in Grade 9, you are unlikely to try out again in future years of high school. If you are lucky enough to make the team, there is a focus on winning games. There are players on the team that may only play for a few minutes in a game and spend the rest of the time on the bench. The focus on winning contributes to only playing the best players. The players that do more sitting than actually playing are less likely to want to play in the future. It has been proven that more kids would rather “play” on losing teams than sit on the bench for winning teams. Schools could offer more programs at lunch and after school that focus more on participation and less on winning.
Participation in sports has also decreased because of...yes...you know it... electronics. Kids are spending more time playing video games and using the Internet. I play basketball in front of my house for several hours a week and you rarely see any other kids outside. There are plenty of kids in my neighbourhood, but they are rarely outside (and this isn’t because of Covid). Most kids spend a good portion of their day inside playing video games or surfing the Internet. Video games have replaced playing sports for so many kids.
I love playing sports and I love being physically active. I think there are things that need to change in order to increase the number of kids who participate in sports. When my dad talks about how every kid in his neighbourhood was outside playing sports when he was young, I wonder what I will be telling my kids in the future? I hope I can inspire and motivate my kids to have the same love of sports and physical activity that I do. My enthusiasm is, at least, a step in the right direction.












