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 Recent study shows that more girls playing the game than ever before
By Michael J. Pallerino
The next Maya Moore is out there. She’s honing her skills on the playground. She’s in the gym practicing. She’s on the list of every college coach in the business (and yes, that means you Geno Auriemma and Pat Summitt). According to the a recent study by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), while participation in basketball has fallen significantly from its peak in the early 1990s, the numbers have stabilized to around 26,000,000 participants – and the number of girls playing the sport are growing.
The SGMA survey – U.S. Trends in Team Sports – found that girls comprise about one third of all basketball players, up from 25 percent just a year ago. Female participation is much higher on high school varsity teams, where girls make up 45 percent of all players.
At NCAA colleges, girls account for 48 percent of all basketball players. In fact, more girls play on high school basketball teams than play any other high school sport.
“What makes basketball so attractive is its versatile nature,” says Mike May, director of communications for SGMA. “It can be played indoors or outdoors; it can be enjoyed by both genders; it can be played in a competitive team setting; and it can be enjoyed by an individual. Another plus is that many models of modern goals can be adjusted to make the game more accessible and enjoyable for younger kids just getting interested in the sport. And it doesn’t require a significant amount of money to start playing. Kids just need a new pair of shoes, a basketball and some basketball-friendly clothing.”
According to the survey, there were 7 million basketball players over the age of 35, many of them dads who share the game on a home court with their daughters and sons. Basketball continues to have one of the highest levels of casual/pickup play at 60 percent with only 22 percent indicating they played in a scholastic setting. Basketball also has one of the highest core percentage of participants, again driven by the number of casual players in the sport.
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