A new public opinion survey has found that the vast majority of Americans believe that children benefit greatly from participating in group sports, with high-income families showing even stronger endorsements.
According to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll, teenagers engaging in sports can learn teamwork skills and reduce screen time. In the United States, about half of parents of students in high school and below (K-12) say their children participate in group sports, with higher participation rates among affluent families.
Among parents of K-12 students with a yearly income of at least $100,000, approximately 70% stated that their children engage in group sports, while this figure is around 40% among parents with lower incomes.
The research findings reveal that parents overwhelmingly view participation in sports as an essential part of their children’s childhood.
Approximately two-thirds of K-12 parents (with at least one child in sports) estimate spending up to $2000 annually on youth sports equipment, fees, training, and travel. Both wealthier and less affluent parents spend roughly the same amount on sports activities each year.
Some parents hope that this investment will not only bring societal benefits but also lead to returns through scholarships or other opportunities. Despite the high demands and costs involved, parents generally believe that the benefits of youth sports outweigh the drawbacks.
The survey found that soccer, basketball, and softball/baseball are among the most commonly participated sports.
Nearly all Americans believe that children benefit from participating in group sports in various ways, such as learning resilience, improving physical fitness, fostering teamwork, making friends, reducing screen time, and developing a sense of effort and dedication.
About three-quarters of adults say that engaging in group sports had a “positive influence” on their childhood, and around sixty percent feel that sports have positively impacted their adult lives.
Overall, both high-income sports parents and low-income sports parents spend a similar amount on sports-related expenses. In households with an income of at least $100,000, only about one in ten spend over $5000, a situation almost non-existent among lower-income families.
Despite facing many challenges, the vast majority of parents are satisfied with their children’s participation in sports.
Around 80% of parents believe that engaging in sports can increase their children’s chances of being accepted into college.
Compared to wealthier parents, parents from lower-income backgrounds are more likely to state that their decision to have their children participate in sports is to improve college acceptance rates, obtain sports scholarships, or receive NIL funding. On the other hand, wealthier parents are more inclined to believe that this “does not have any effect.”
This survey was conducted from July 21st to 26th, 2026, targeting 1,737 adults and included 510 parents of school-age children participating in youth sports, sampled from Ipsos’ probability-based KnowledgePanel to represent the U.S. population.