Income gap shapes K-12 youth sports enrollment, survey finds

Out-of-pocket costs limit participation for lower-income families

WASHINGTON — An AP-Ipsos poll finds higher-income U.S. families are more likely than lower-income families to enroll their K-12 children in organized sports, while Americans overall see major benefits to youth athletics.

About half of U.S. parents with K-12 school-aged children say their kids play a structured sport, according to the survey, but participation is higher among more affluent families.

Among K-12 parents with a household income of at least $100,000 annually, about 7 in 10 said their children play organized sports. Among parents with a lower household income, about 4 in 10 reported the same.

Learning teamwork and reducing screen time rank among the perceived benefits of youth sports, according to the AP-Ipsos survey.

The poll’s findings point to what it identifies as a key problem in youth sports: parents almost universally see participation as an important part of children’s childhood, but out-of-pocket expenses can be significant, particularly for lower-income families.