Late summer brought a series of events and industry studies that paint both an optimistic and challenging outlook for team dealers. Taken together they draw an interesting picture for where the business of team sports is headed as 2025 draws to a close.

SFIA: Slight Decrease in Participation Trends; Costs Cited as Top Concern

First off came a report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) in its inaugural “First Half Game Plan: Key Moves in Sports Participation Report,” which marks the first time SFIA has put out a mid-year update of sports and fitness participation data. The results were decidedly mixed.

“While some categories show modest declines, the data also reveals areas of resilience and growth,” reports Alex Kerman, senior director and head of research for SFIA. (It is important to note that as part of this report, SFIA introduced a new activity definition designed to better reflect meaningful engagement in physical activity. Under this updated framework, individuals are considered “active” if they engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.)

In 2024, 22.6 percent of Americans were entirely inactive. First half of the year indicators for 2025 show that inactivity levels have increased to 22.9 percent. This equates to roughly one million more Americans not actively participating in sports or fitness activities of any kind. This increase is likely driven by ongoing market and economic uncertainty surrounding tariffs and a natural post-Olympic participation slowdown.

Several sports prominently featured in the Paris Olympics last year are seeing modest declines, including Swimming on a Team, down by 2.7 percent, Skateboarding by 2.4 percent, Soccer (Outdoor) by 1.7 percent, Surfing by 5.8 percent and Track and Field by 3.6 percent.

Despite the declines in rates of participation, there were positive takeaways from the data for the first half of 2025. Winter Sports saw the largest activity growth from July 2024 to June 2025, increasing by 1.7 percent, followed by modest gains in Fitness Activities (0.3 percent) and Racquet Sports (0.1 percent). Additionally, among the 30 sports with updated participation data, Pickleball remains the fastest-growing sport, with a 14.7 percent increase in participation.

In 2025, there is a move towards more wellness-oriented activities, with preferences varying notably by age group. Fitness dominated the intended activities, with Running/Jogging emerging as the most intended among younger age groups, while for the older age groups

With the current economic uncertainty – especially around tariffs – it is not surprising that the report revealed that increased costs remain the most significant barrier to youth sports participation, with 41 percent of parents citing it as the primary barrier to their children participating in sports.

NFHS: Participation in High School Sports Hits Record High

The most positive report came from the NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, which found that high school athletics participation increased by nearly 200,000 in 2024-25, continuing an upward trajectory since the pandemic and registering an all-time high for participation.

The survey indicated that 8.3 million participants were involved in high school sports in 2024-25, which is up 198,589 from the previous year and tops the previous record of 8.1 million set in 2023-24. The total includes 4.7 million boys and 3.5 million – both record highs – according to figures obtained from the 51 NFHS member state associations, which includes the District of Columbia.

The 2024-25 total marked the third consecutive notable increase after numbers fell during the pandemic. Since the initial survey after the pandemic, participation in high school sports has increased 642,837 in three years and represents a turnaround from the decline that started the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is wonderful to see the interest in high school sports reach new heights,” says Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. “The immense value of high school sports is reflected in these impressive numbers. As high school students have consistently demonstrated their desire to play with their peers and represent their schools and community, state and school administrators have stepped up to offer more participation opportunities to meet that demand.”

The biggest gains in 2024-25 were mainly found in girls’ sports, with flag football leading the way. The rapid rise of girls’ flag football programs across the country led to 68,847 girls participating in the sport last year — a 60 percent increase from the previous year. In addition, schools sponsoring the sport increased by nearly 1000.

Girls’ wrestling topped 74,000 participants for the first time, jumping 15 percent from a year ago and adding nearly 1000 schools with a girls’ wrestling program. Boys’ wrestling participation is also enjoying a rebound in numbers, recording an increase of 8340 to top 300,000 for the first time.

The number of participants in Unified Sports and Esports also registered increases in 2024-25. The survey indicated a total of 70,006 participants in the 15 Unified Sports, up from 51,502 in 2023-24.

Outdoor track and field, volleyball and soccer all registered increases and remained the top three participatory sports for girls. Track and field participation increased to 513,808, followed by volleyball at 492,799 (up 2.85 percent) and soccer at 393,048 (up 2.38 percent). Basketball (356,240) remained in the number four spot, followed by fast-pitch softball (331,306). Competitive spirit (206,262) jumped to the sixth-most popular girls sport with a nearly 14 percent increase, while tennis (204,721) also increased by more than four percent. Cross-country (189,260), swimming and diving (138,303) and lacrosse (99,292) round out the top 10.

Outdoor track and field, soccer and golf had significant gains on the boys’ side, and all 10 of the most popular sports held steady or registered gains. After 11-player football (1,031,039) and outdoor track and field (644,235), the rest of the boys’ top 10 includes basketball (540,704), soccer (484,908), baseball (472,598), wrestling (300,214), cross country (238,685), golf (162,357), tennis (158,667) and swimming and diving (119,102).

Adidas Signs Uniform Deal With Florida High Schools

With all of this positive news comes word of a disturbing trend that should concern team dealers and their suppliers as a major brand has reached into the high school ranks for an all-apparel deal. Word recently came out of Florida that Adidas has signed a $13 million contract with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to outfit every student-athlete from the 40 high schools that make up the Greater Miami Athletic Conference. According to reports, the deal is worth $13.5 million for five years.

“From Miami-Dade County Public Schools, we provide an amazing pipeline of talent into sports, not only at the state level, but also at the national level, so we are again, promoting, validating, embracing the incredible talent that we have in MDCPS,” said superintendent Dr. Jose Dotres in announcing the deal.

Added Kelly Morris of Adidas: “It’s about the athlete, the student athlete, it really is, our commitment to investing in sport, this is really the epitome of our strategy and our mission, which is really serving athletes from the brand perspective, we’re about sport and serving the kids.”

Of course, an Adidas-themed team store is apparently part of the deal and Adidas also gets naming rights for Adidas Field at Traz Powell Stadium.

ESPN PSAs Are Taking Back Sports

With the Adidas incursion in mind came one more piece of interesting news for youth sports. Some of the biggest names in sports are now joining forces with ESPN to launch two new public service announcements as part of its Take Back Sports initiative to get and keep kids playing sports. The PSAs – one featuring NFL legends Eli Manning, Peyton Manning and NBA star Stephen Curry and another with SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt – aim to spotlight some of the most pressing issues in youth sports, including cost, time commitments and the early specialization models, while underscoring the need to address these challenges so more kids can experience the benefits of playing sports.

The Manning brothers and Curry join a growing list of athlete ambassadors, including Luka Dončić, Sydney Leroux, Lamar Jackson and others, addressing the critical issues in youth sports.

With less than four in 10 kids ages 6-12 playing sports on a regular basis, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association and the Aspen Institute’s State of Play 2024 report, Van Pelt is encouraging youth sports parents to join ESPN in its quest to prioritize kids playing sports and having fun. This PSA rallies parents to get their kids on the field of play.

“I watch sports for a living, and I can say, the greatest sports experience is watching your kids start and have fun playing sports,” Van Pelt states in the spot.

Meanwhile, the Manning brothers are teaming up with Curry to bring attention to some of the challenges and opportunities in youth sports. The spot uses humor to encourage youth sports parents to join the movement in helping make the youth sports experience better for kids.

“Youth sports have been a game changer in so many lives, including my own, but all sorts of obstacles still prevent kids from accessing and enjoying them,” said Peyton Manning in a statement. “Eli and I are proud to team up with Stephen Curry and ESPN to shine a light on these challenges and help keep kids in the game.”

Both PSAs will run across ESPN platforms throughout the year, reinforcing the company’s commitment to fostering more inclusive and accessible youth sports opportunities.