Youth sports statistics 2026: market size, family spending, and sponsorship

How big is the youth sports market?

The U.S. youth sports market generates around $40 billion a year, according to L.E.K. Consulting, with about 30 million athletes. Per-athlete spending rose from roughly $700 in 2019 to about $1,000 in 2024, across registration fees, travel, and equipment.

Source: L.E.K. Consulting, February 2026

How much do families spend on youth sports?

The average U.S. sports family spent $1,016 on a child's primary sport in 2024, a 46% increase over 2019. Counting secondary sports, families spent nearly $1,500 per child. Travel is the biggest line, followed by registration and lessons.

Average spend on a child's primary sport, 2024

• Travel and lodging: $278.03
• Team registration: $196.98
• Lessons and instruction: $183.36
• Equipment and uniforms: $164.59
• Camps and athlete schools: $148.44
• Other: $42.75

Total $1,015.64, from the Aspen Institute National Youth Sports Parent Survey (n=1,848). Equipment and uniforms is the cost a uniform sponsorship can offset directly.

Sources: Aspen Institute Project Play, March 2025; full survey report (PDF)

How many kids play youth sports, and when do they quit?

58% of U.S. youth ages 6 to 17 played on a sports team or took sports lessons in 2024, according to federal National Survey of Children's Health data analyzed by the Aspen Institute. The Healthy People 2030 goal is 63%. Kids who stop playing quit at an average age of 12.93, and in a 2026 Harris Poll, 68% of sports parents said they had seriously considered pulling a child out, with cost the most cited reason.

Sources: Aspen Institute, May 2026; Aspen Institute National Survey of Youth and Sports, 2026; The Harris Poll for Good Sports, via Youth Sports Business Report, September 2026

Who are youth sports parents as consumers?

63% of U.S. parents identify as sports parents, and 84.2% say youth sports influences their purchase decisions. 49.4% of sports parents report household income over $100,000, compared with 25.7% of non-sports households.

Source: EMARKETER and DICK'S Media survey of 662 U.S. parents, fielded February 2026

How do parents feel about youth sports sponsors?

84% of youth sports parents feel positive about companies sponsoring youth sports teams and programs, and 3% feel negative. When comparing two products of similar cost and quality, 80% say they are likely to choose the brand that sponsors their child's youth sports program. And 81% say sponsorship of their child's program is likely to capture their attention, compared with 54% for sponsoring a pro team they care about and 51% for TV commercials.

Youth sports parents in this study are parents of at least one child currently playing organized youth sports.

Source: Priority Partnerships, The ROI of Sponsorship in Youth Sports, with research conducted by YouGov Sport. Online survey of 1,345 U.S. adults, including 922 youth sports parents, fielded November 14 to December 8, 2025 and published January 2026.