CHAPTER TWO • DEMOGRAPHICS & TRENDS NAPERVILLE PARK DISTRICT INDOOR RECREATION SPACE NEEDS ASSESSMENT
NATIONAL TRENDS IN GENERAL SPORTS PARTICIPATION LEVELS
The top three sports most heavily participated in the United States were basketball (29.7 million), golf (26.6 million), and tennis (23.8 million) which have participation figures well above other sports. Playing golf at an entertainment venue (18.5 million) and baseball (16.7 million) round out the top five. The popularity of basketball, golf, and tennis through the COVID-19 pandemic can be attributed to the ability to compete with a small number of participants while outdoors and/or properly distanced. Basketball’s overall success can also be attributed to the limited amount of equipment needed to participate and the limited space requirements necessary. Golf continues to benefit from its wide age segment appeal and is considered a life-long sport. In addition, target type game or golf entertainment venues have increased drastically (99%) over the past five years, as golf entertainment (e.g., Top Golf) has increased the sport’s popularity.
FIVE-YEAR TREND Today, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States, by far with a 311.5% increase in the five-year trend. Similarly, outdoor soccer (23.4%) and basketball (22.7%) have experienced significant growth. Based on the five-year trend from 2018- 2023, the sports that are most rapidly declining in participation include roller hockey (-28.7%), rugby (-28.7%), and ultimate frisbee (-23.0%). ONE-YEAR TREND The most recent year shares some similarities with the five-year trends, as pickleball (51.8%) and golf - entertainment venues (18.8%) experienced some of the greatest increases in participation this past year. Other top sports with one-year increases include court volleyball (13.3%), ice hockey (9.6%), and cheerleading (8.3%). Sports that have seen moderate one-year increases, but five-year decreases are cheerleading (8.3%), track and field (5.8%), lacrosse (5.5%) and slow-pitch softball (5.3%). This could be a result of coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic with team program participation on the rise. Like their five-year trend, roller hockey (-9.6%), sand/beach volleyball (-5.1%), and rugby (-4.6%) have seen decreases in participation over the last year.
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