NSGA Annual Sports Participation Report Shows Increases for Most Sports Tracked in 2023

CONTACT: 

Marty Maciaszek, Director of Communications 
mmaciaszek@nsga.org 
(847) 296-6742, ext. 1260 

DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS (May 7, 2024) – The interest of people participating in sports and activities continued to grow in 2023 and is exhibited in the 2024 edition of the National Sporting Goods Association’s (NSGA) Sports Participation in the U.S. report. The industry’s longest-standing and most comprehensive participation study saw increases in 35 of the 56 sports/activities (62.5 percent) tracked by NSGA in 2023 vs. the prior year. 

“Overall it is great to see participation levels up across the majority of sports and recreational activities we track,” said Nick Rigitano, NSGA Director of Insights & Analysis. “It tells us the opportunities are there for retailers, team dealers and manufacturers in the sporting goods industry to grow their business.” 

Some of the key takeaways from NSGA’s 2024 participation report: 

• Pickleball’s growth isn’t slowing down as it showed the highest percentage increase year-over-year for the fourth consecutive year. Pickleball was up 54% in 2023 vs 2022. 
• The gains by pickleball were part of the individual segment seeing increases for 5 out of the 7 sports/activities tracked. Tennis and golf also made gains in participation. 
• The team sports segment saw increases for 7 of the 11 sports tracked, led by strong increases in soccer (+12%), cheerleading (+15%) and flag football (+10%). Overall, the segment was up 2.2% in terms of NSGA’s Total Participation Points (TPP) measurement. 
• All 3 snow sports of alpine skiing, cross country skiing and snowboarding saw increases compared to the previous year, combining for a 12% increase in TPP for the segment. 
• The personal contact segment (boxing, wrestling, martial arts/MMA/tae kwon do) was a big hit and saw the biggest increase in TPP, up 14% vs. the prior year. 
• A slight decrease in bicycle riding offset increases among the other wheel sports, leading to a slight decrease (-1.2%) in TPP for the segment. 
• The open water segment experienced a 1.6% increase in TPP after seeing increases in 4 out of 6 activities, led by strong gains in scuba diving, surfing and water skiing. 
• Most of the activities in the shooting sports segment experienced solid gains, netting out at a 4.8% increase in TPP. 
• The results were mixed within the indoor, outdoor and fitness segments. This led to slight decreases for all three in terms of TPP. 

Click here to see which sports are in which segments

Click here for an explanation of the Total Participation Points (TPPs) calculation. 

The 2024 Sports Participation in the U.S. report is available on NSGA’s website at research@nsga.org. The report tracks 56 sports and recreational activities and includes easy-to-understand, quick-view snapshots for each, allowing users to easily see a 10-year participation trend (when available), as well as demographic details regarding age, income and U.S. region. NSGA’s participation research also includes Cross Participation, Lifecycle Demographics and Single-Sport reports. The Total Participation Points (TPP) take into account the reach and depth of participation within a segment. 

About the National Sporting Goods Association 

Since 1929, the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) has been the leading voice and go-to resource for the sporting goods industry. NSGA helps the industry grow its businesses through research, advocacy and networking. For more information about membership or NSGA’s products and services, please visit www.nsga.org.