Professional sports organizations might soon be facing a shortage of athletes, a new report suggests.
A survey released Friday by the Aspen Institute reveals 38% of U.S. children between the ages of 6 and 12 participated in youth sports programs in 2018.
That figure is down from 45% 10 years earlier.
The reason? Money. According to the study, “Children from low-income families are half as likely to play sports as kids from upper-income homes.”
Removing kids from sports when they’re young means fewer high school and college athletes for professional teams to mine, says sports writer Mike Gunzelman.