Team sports participation reached a record 92.3 million Americans ages 6 and older in 2025, increasing 7.6 percent and marking a fifth consecutive year of growth, according to a new report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). Double-digit year-over-year gains were seen by outdoor soccer, basketball, cheerleading, fast-pitch softball and track & field.

The 92.3 million Americans playing team sports marks a 39 percent surge from the category’s 2015 low of 66.5 million, according to SFIA’s 2026 U.S. Trends in Team Sports Report. Overall, 29.7 percent of Americans ages 6 and older, compared with 27.8 percent in 2024.

The breadth of the growth stood out. Of the 24 team sports tracked by SFIA, 17 increased year over year, while 20 posted positive three-year average annual growth.

Outdoor soccer was the fastest-growing team sport in 2025, building on several years of increased visibility and excitement around the sport. Participants reached 16.8 million, up 15.8 percent y/y and now ahead 6.3 percent on average over the last five years. Among the factors supporting soccer’s growth have been Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer (MLS), the 2024 Copa América, the U.S. Women’s National Team’s gold medal in Paris, the 2025 Club World Cup, as well as buzz building last year as the country prepared to host the Men’s World Cup in 2206. Indoor soccer also benefited, with participation last year expanding 10.5 percent to 6.6 million.

Cheerleading was the second-fastest growing sport, climbing 13.8 percent, to 4.5 million participants. Basketball, already the country’s largest team sport, came in third, up 13.5 percent to 36.3 million, and is ahead 5.6 percent over the last five years.

Rounding out the top-five fastest-growing team sports were softball (fast-pitch), up 13.0 percent y/y; and track & field, up 10.7 percent.

Flag football, supported by massive NFL backing and its upcoming Olympic debut in Los Angeles, saw participation in 2025 climb 9.3 percent to 8.6 million. Baseball participation grew a healthy 5.5 percent to 18.2 million, retaining its spot as the second most-played team sport. Other healthy mid-single-digit particpation gains were seen by swimming on a team and court volleyball.

Tackle football managed a 3.2 percent gain to total 6.2 million participants. Team sports showing y/y declines in participation included Ultimate Frisbee, Wrestling, Roller Hockey, Gymnastics, Football (7-on-7),Volleyball,(Beach/Sand) and Rugby.

Core Team Sports Participation Shows Some Recovery
Another notable finding in the report is the stabilization in the average number of team sports played per participant, suggesting the recent decline may be leveling off. After declining steadily for a decade, the average essentially held flat in 2025, moving from 1.668 to 1.665, a decrease of just 0.1 percent. At the same time, total occasions of play increased significantly and surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time, an indicator that CORE participation is starting to recover.

Casual team sports participation increased 9.6 percent in 2025, reaching 65.9 million participants, while CORE participation grew 2.9 percent to 26.4 million. Although casual participation continues to grow faster than CORE participation, the longer-term pattern provides reason for optimism. Historically, growth in CORE participation has followed an increase in casual participation by approximately two to three years, as some newer participants deepen their engagement over time. Casual participation rose 8.0 percent in 2022 and 19.3 percent in 2023. CORE participation subsequently returned to growth beginning in 2024, and in 2025, 22 of the 24 team sports SFIA tracks increased their CORE participant bases—the broadest CORE growth recorded in recent years.

Team Sports Motivators
For the first time, SFIA asked participants why they play team sports. Fun led at 58.4 percent, followed by staying active at 51 percent, spending time with friends at 39.1 percent, and being part of a team at 36 percent. Being part of a team and general fitness both ranked ahead of competition, while stress reduction was cited by 25.8 percent of participants and mental health by 24.8 percent.

Coaching Challenge
The report identified finding coaches as a growing challenge for youth sports. The number of current youth team sport coaches declined for the third consecutive year, falling from 8.4 million in 2022 to 6.9 million in 2025. Over the same period, participation among youth ages 6-14 increased from 21.1 million to 22.1 million. From 2022 to 2025, the number of participants per coach increased from 2.5 to 3.2, reflecting a widening gap between participation and coaching capacity. At the same time, the number of former coaches continued to rise, suggesting that retaining coaches once they begin may be a greater challenge than attracting them initially.

“More Americans are staying active through team sports, but sustaining that momentum requires the people and programs that make participation possible,” said Kerman. “People tell us they play for fun, activity, friendship, and belonging. Coaches help turn those motivations into positive experiences that keep participants engaged, making coach retention increasingly important as participation grows.”

Image courtesy West Seattle YMCA