PHILADELPHIA (WHTM) – For many kids, sports participation provides lifelong skills. It’s a place to build healthy self-esteem, develop friendships and learn to interact socially and work as part of a team. It’s also an opportunity to explore their physical abilities, allowing them to become better athletes, and it builds discipline that can help children focus and stay on track in school and in life.

But kids’ ability to play sports เริ่มชนะด้วยสล็อตยูฟ่าเว็บตรง is being impacted by several factors – most importantly, their economic circumstances. “It’s a big reason why some kids don’t participate,” says University of Bath sports scientist Sean Cumming. He studies growth and maturation, including the differences between the biological ages of young players. He has found that while some kids mature early and grow bigger faster, other kids are much smaller and slower to mature. This creates selection biases in youth sports, with the later maturing small kids being overlooked by their faster, larger peers.

In a good sign, more kids from low-income families are playing organized sports today than in previous years and the gap between the highest and lowest incomes has closed, but it isn’t nearly close enough. And while the rate of kids ages 6-12 who played sports on a regular basis through community-based programming rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in Fall 2022, those who played elite travel sports remained significantly lower, reflecting high costs and fewer quality opportunities.

The Future of Children in Sports: Trends and Predictions

Even when kids have access to quality sports, many struggle to keep up with the cost of playing. As the average family spends $833 per year to play one sport, parents have to choose between paying for their child’s athletics and other daily needs.