Soccer Participation on the Rise in the United States
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Alli Schulman
aschulman@sfia.org”
301.495.6321
SILVER SPRING, MD (June 29, 2020) — Coinciding with professional and youth soccer returning to play around the world, SFIA is releasing its annual soccer participation report, which found soccer participation in the United States increased in 2019 after four straight years of decline. The return of soccer in 2020 plays a significant role in the overall soccer landscape in the United States. Soccer participation in the U.S. increased in 2019, for the first time since 2015. In addition, 2019 marked the first time “core” participation for soccer has increased (1.5 percent) since 2010. After the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, participation was dwindling. However, in 2019, not only were more Americans playing soccer, but participation numbers increased by 4.5 percent in just one year, which is a significant increase for the third most-popular sport in the U.S. Due to the heightened demand and attention around the return of soccer, we are providing several key data points based on the comprehensive SFIA and Physical Activity Council research on sports participation.
SFIA President & CEO, Tom Cove, is available for interviews and in-depth analysis of soccer and comparative sport participation rates and trends.
· There are 11,913,000 Soccer (Outdoor) Participants in the U.S.
· There are 5,050,000 core (26+/year) Soccer (Outdoor) participants in the U.S.
· 63.1% of all Soccer (Outdoor) participants and 56.4% of core (26+/year) participants are male.
· 71.7% of all Soccer (Outdoor) participants and 82.4% of core (26+/year) participants are between ages of 6 and 24.
· 41.5% of female soccer players are between the ages of 6 and 12
· 52.6% of all Soccer (Outdoor) participants have a household income of over $75,000 per year.
· 25.4% of all Soccer (Outdoor) participants have a college degree or higher.
· 36.5% of all Soccer (Outdoor) participants also run/jog, 36% play basketball, 35.2% bowl, and 30.9% hike (day).
· 24.8% of Outdoor Soccer players also play Indoor Soccer
· There are 4,515,000 children participating in Soccer (Outdoor) between the ages of 6–12.
· There are 2,366,000 Soccer (Outdoor) participants between the ages of 13–17.
· SFIA research reports (Sports, Fitness, and Leisure Activities Topline Participation Report, U.S. Trends in Team Sports, and Single Sport reports) are available for purchase at sfia.org.
ABOUT SFIA: The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the #1 source for sport and fitness research, is the leading global trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers in the sports products and fitness industry. SFIA seeks to promote sports and fitness participation as well as industry vitality through research, thought leadership, public affairs, industry affairs, and member services. For more information, please visit www.sfia.org.
