| by the Journal-Opinion At 69%, Vermont has the highest rate of youth sports participation in the country, according to a report published by the Aspen Institute. New Hampshire is not far behind at 64%. In fact, the seven states–Vermont, Iowa, North Dakota, Wyoming, Maine, South Dakota, and New Hampshire–with at least 60% youth sports participation are all northern, rural, and predominantly white. “All are rural in nature and less densely populated, with many high schools serving just a few hundred students, which discourages cuts to teams because coaches need to fill rosters.” And, as the Aspen Institute notes, most are relatively affluent. But those are not the only things those states have in common: “Another characteristic the seven states with the highest participation rates had in common: each had at least 60% female participation, easily surpassing the U.S. female average of 49%.” Despite an uptick in youth participation after the pandemic, “physical activity among U.S. youth continues to trend downward.” While more girls are playing than ever before, fewer boys are playing sports. “In 2013, half of boys ages 6-17 participated regularly in sports, according to [the] data. Only 41% of boys did in 2023.” |
VT #1 for youth sports
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