EL1 Sports reposted this
"These days, the 'baseball is dying' narrative is what’s actually dying." In the most recent Topline Participation Report by the SFIA - Sports & Fitness Industry Association, baseball and softball had meaningful increases in 2023. - Baseball participation is at nearly 16.7m in the U.S., the highest level since the survey began in '08 - Casual participation in baseball has more than doubled since the launch of PLAY BALL at 8.9m – also an all-time high - Softball grew by 500k, a +6% increase - Combined participation in baseball and softball is at approximately 25.3m, which is the highest level since 2018. - In the most recent U.S. Trends in Team Sports Report (2022), baseball had the highest participation among boys, ages 6-12, while baseball and softball, combined, also had the highest participation that same year among all kids, ages 6-12. “That is a positive not only for today,” said Tom Cove, president and CEO of SFIA, “but for a growth trajectory in the future.” “MLB was ahead of the game in terms of creating an environment to put the joy of playing baseball and softball into young boys’ and girls’ hands and minds, far before the pandemic,” Cove said. #Baseball #Softball #OneBaseball #YouthSports #PlayBall #YouthParticipation https://lnkd.in/eUDKCvhQ
