While more than 170 million Americans are active in a fitness, team sports, recreational, or outdoor endeavor, nearly 45 million are only casually active and more than 60 million Americans are not active at all, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Associations Sports Participation in America (2009 edition) report.
“These demographics give the reader a more accurate profile of todays sports and fitness participants,” said SGMA president Tom Cove. “At least half of the U.S. population is very physically active, but far too many Americans are categorized as casually active or totally inactive and thats where we find people who are overweight and obese. The 45 million Americans who are casually active represent potential health club members, possible candidates for buying some form of sports and fitness equipment, or somebody who could be more active. If those 45 million people can increase their commitment to getting fit, obesity levels would drop and there would be less of a drain on our health care system. Thats why SGMA remains vigilant in its support of more physical education in schools and legislation, such as the PHIT Bill, that impacts health care.”
Another noteworthy trend is the increase in pick-up play in team sports. In recent years, SGMA has noticed that participation in team sports has been driven by organized/sanctioned play. However, in 2008, there were seven team sports where casual/pick-up play exceeded organized/sanctioned play. Those sports were basketball, ice hockey, field hockey, touch football, lacrosse, grass volleyball, and beach volleyball. SGMA believes this is the result of athletes and their families feeling the pinch of the economy. Many people are choosing less expensive ways to play sports and stay active.
“Without a doubt, the economy has had a positive effect on casual play,” said Rich Luker, president of The Luker Company, an analyst of community trends in the U.S. “The big issue is time freedom. Because of job uncertainty, many families have become reluctant to make a time and financial commitment to a sport. In a nutshell, people are seeking free alternatives in a down economy.”
In all, roughly 90 activities are featured in this annual report on athletic recreational, and exercise trends in the United States. For each sport listed in this study, there are a series of statistics that showcase total and core participation; participation based on gender; the average age of the participant; the average annual household income of the participant; the average number of days of play per participant; and the percentage of participants that are new to the sport.
Listed below are some of the newsworthy items from this report:
Its Hip To Be Fit. Fitness activities which are on the rise include step aerobics, elliptical motion trainers, dumbbells, and walking for fitness.
Family-Friendly Fun. Activities which are family oriented which are gaining in popularity include Ultimate Frisbee, backpacking, trail running, indoor soccer, bicycling, tennis, surfing, racquetball, and court volleyball.
Trends in Team Sports. The team sports with double-digit participation gains in the last year are Ultimate Frisbee, court volleyball, rugby, and indoor soccer.
Ladies Leading the Way. Females represent the majority of participants in gymnastics, fast-pitch softball, and court volleyball.
Women Are Inspired to Perspire. Of the 28 fitness activities listed, women represent more than half of the participants in 17 of them.
Sandlot Specials. The three team sports which attract the highest percentage of pick-up participants are beach volleyball, grass volleyball, and touch football.
Formal Activities. The three team sports which attract the highest percentage of organized participants are fast-pitch softball, track & field, and indoor soccer.
Sweat Shop Sensation. The fitness machine with the highest number of participants is the treadmill with 49.4 million participants.
Fitness Leader. Walking for fitness is the most popular fitness activity with 111.7 million participants of which 76.4 million are core followers (those who participate 50+ days/year).
