Florida State University expert available to discuss state of youth sports in America

Opening day of the Major League Baseball season begins Thursday — an event that many see as a national holiday. At the same time, many Little League players are preparing for another fun and exciting season.

Youth sports have proven to benefit many children physically, mentally and socially – no matter which sport they compete in. However, the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) estimated that 53.8% of children aged 6 to 17 played on a sports team or took lessons as of 2022; down from 58.4% in 2017.

The sport of baseball has celebrated many achievements over the past year — a World Series packed with heavy interest between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, record increases in attendance and viewership, and an average game time of 2 hours, 36 minutes that marked its shortest pace of play in a season since 1984.

Perhaps a lesser-known accomplishment recently celebrated was the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) Topline Participation Report for 2023 which showed baseball participation reached 16.7 million in the United States, the highest recorded since 2008. A sport that once faced declining youth participation rates has shown a dramatic resurgence – a contrast to the rest of youth sports.

Megan Buning is a teaching specialist at Florida State University in the Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching who holds a Certified Mental Performance Consultant certification. Her research focuses on the crossover of sports and classroom concepts and strategies to improve coaching and teaching practices. Buning was an All-American softball pitcher at the University of South Carolina and played professionally in the National Pro Fastpitch League.

While youth sports can bring on issues such as burnout, overtraining and even financial burdens, there are far more positives than negatives for children when it comes to participating.

“What stands out to me the most about the benefits of youth sports participation is learning how to work with others that are different,” Buning said. “Not only working toward a common goal but also learning how to succeed and fail. This skill alone is the most valuable benefit in my opinion.”

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the percentage of high school youth playing on at least one sports team dropped from 57.4% in 2019 to a 21st-century low of 49.1% in 2021.

The constant pressure faced by youth sports participants as they gain experience is one contributing factor to the declining high school rates.

“Unfortunately, I see youth burning out because they feel pressure to constantly train or play,” Buning added. “Sometimes this pressure is self-created, and other times the pressure is created by parents and coaches. If youth are not allowed to rest, take a break from the sport or to explore other activities then they are more likely to quit the sport.”

Media interested in interviewing Buning on the state of youth sports in America can contact her via email at m.buning@fsu.edu.

Megan Buning, Teaching Specialist in the Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching, Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

 In your experience as an athlete, parent, talent analyst, mental performance expert and educator, what is another noticeable way that youth sports benefit each participant?
“Athletes learn from a young age how to work through failure. They have the opportunity to fail more often than they succeed in sports, and each time they fail and try again, they strengthen their ability to be resilient. Another benefit to youth sports participation is athletes learn discipline and work ethic to some degree. Any amount of practice requires time management, practicing when you don’t feel like it and doing the same things repeatedly. All of this teaches work ethic and discipline.”

How can youth sports participants best avoid burnout and overtraining?
“Burnout and overtraining are certainly a concern in youth sports as they are in many areas of life. For youth, it’s important that parents, coaches and trusted others help youth athletes manage and balance their training and well-being to help avoid burnout.”

What are some best common practices for youth league coaches and parents?
“At the youth level, some of the best things coaches can do is make the sport fun. This can be done to varying degrees and include competition. If athletes enjoy playing, they will continue working on the sport. For parents, one of the best ways to support their athletes is to work on productive pre- and post-game discussions. Parents can completely change how athletes respond and handle emotions with how they speak and respond to performances. Supportive and encouraging conversations are extremely important at the youth level.”

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