Infographic: Benefits and impact of youth & American interscholastic sports

A study done by Ohio University found that over 7.8 million American children participated in high school sports throughout the 2014-2015 academic year. While this might seem impressive, many sports are actually facing a slow decline. Even popular sports have not been spared from this emerging phenomenon. For instance, American football is down 2.4% and basketball has fallen by 1.9% compared to the numbers in 2008. In baseball’s Little League, the drop rate has been 2% per year since 2002. What’s most concerning with the decline in participation is the fact that youth and interscholastic sports are vital for our youth, and not only for their physical health. What does the future hold?

The below infograph is visual representation of Ohio University's findings of youth participation in sport across the U.S and the benefits.

Here is the link to their website - http://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/masters-athletic-administration/