According to a survey commissioned by i9 Sports, the youth sports franchise, 84 percent of children say they quit or wanted to quit a sports team because it wasn’t fun. Another 42 percent said they’d rather play video games than sports while 31 percent of children wish adults weren’t watching their games.

The survey of 300 kids between the ages of 8 and 14 also showed:

  • 84 percent say they sometimes wish they had more fun when playing youth sports;
  • 47 percent say because “it wasn’t any fun.” 29 percent say some teammates were mean;
  • 23 percent say there were too many practices that interfered with other activities.
  • When asked their #1 reason for playing sports, 56 percent say to have fun.
  • When asked how they feel if their team loses, 63 percent say they still have fun.
  • 74 percent of those who chose video games say gaming is more fun than playing sports. 28 percent say sports can be too competitive. 20 percent say their coach doesn’t let them play as much as they want to so they’d rather play a video game. 17 percent say they feel too much pressure to win.
  • 1 in 5 children have witnessed a physical fight between players. 59 percent have seen a verbal fight between players and 36 percent have seen a verbal fight between parents.
  • 61 percent say they or their team mates have been called a “not so nice” name while playing sports.   Those comments include: “loser,” “midget,” “four eyes,” “you suck buffalo butt and throw like a girl,” “lazy and fat,” “you suck and shouldn’t be on the team,”  and one child writes “one time I was called a slow poke and made fun of for running slow and a girl came up behind me while I was at the water fountain and pushed my head and I hit my head on the fountain.”  (there are expletives we chose not to include but will give you upon request)
  • When asked who called them names, 69 percent say it was someone on the other team. 35 percent say it was a teammate. 12 percent say it was someone else’s parent. One child wrote in “a teacher.” Another childwrote in “the team mom.”

“This survey clearly shows that America needs to reevaluate youth sports which have become too cut throat and competitive and not much fun,” says Brian Sanders, COO and president of i9 Sports, with 500,000 members at 275 locations in 26 states. “We forget sports are teaching tools for life. Kids are learning behaviors picked up by teammates, coaches and parents. We need to be better teachers. We need to let kids have fun.”

The online survey was done by a third party and commissioned by i9 Sports. The survey included 300 respondents, 160 male and 140 female (ages 8 – 14).

i9 Sports, based in the Tampa Bay, FL, is the franchise of youth sports leagues, camps, and programs in the United States. With more than 500,000 members and 275 locations in 26 states, i9 Sports offers the most popular team sports for boys and girls ages 3-14 with a focus on fun, safety, and good sportsmanship.

Because each league is individually owned and operated by carefully screened and certified local franchise owners, participants enjoy the many benefits of a well-organized national sports organization with a personal touch in the local community.

Entrepreneur Magazine ranked i9 Sports #256 in the prestigious Franchise 500® issue and the 15th Top New Franchise in America; while the Franchise Business Review named i9 Sports the #1 Sports, Recreation, & Fitness franchise.