WHAT TODAY'S TEENS ARE DOING IN SPORTS

NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 
November 19, 2001

Do you know what sports children are playing today? 
The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association's 
(SGMA) first-ever segment report, Teens & Sports
in America (2001 edition), answers that question and
more on teen and pre-teen sports participation trends
from 1990 - 2000. This document also reveals that
teens are avid sports fans. While millions of 
American children enjoy participating in sports,
this publication also discloses a disturbing trend
towards obesity in American youth.
 
Some of the highlights from this report are: 

** Participation trends among pre-teens (aged 6-11) 
were more positive than for teenagers over the
990 - 2000 period. 

** Millions of youngsters are now enjoying 
"alternative" or "extreme" sports, such as
inline skating, snowboarding and skateboarding. 

** Organized team sports participation is strong,
though the number of participants would be higher
if sandlot/pickup games were more popular. 
Any decline in team sports has come in
sandlot/pickup play. 

** With more than 70 million members, the
under-18 age group rivals the immensely
powerful Baby Boomer market. 

** More than nine in ten (96%) people aged
12 - 17 say they actively follow at least one sport,
compared to 86.9% of the 12-and-older 
population, as a whole. 

** Almost three in every four teens use the
Internet, but relatively few teenagers –
only 11% – have ever made an online
purchase. 

** For teenagers, basketball is the most
popular team sport; bowling is the number 
one ranked individual sport; free weights
lead the way among fitness activities; and
freshwater fishing tops the outdoor chart. 

** For teens, basketball has the highest 
degree of cross-gender appeal. 

** With more than 1,000,000 participants,
tackle football is the most popular high
school sport. 

** The number of children and teens who
are overweight has nearly doubled since 1980. 

This report may be ordered online at:
http://www.sgma.com/reports/2001/report1004986175-25324.html - 
The report is free to SGMA's full members. 
See website for other pricing. 

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association 
(SGMA), owner of The Super Show®, is the
trade association of North American manufacturers,
producers and distributors of sports apparel, 
athletic footwear, fitness and sporting goods
equipment. SGMA represents and supports
its members through programs and strategies 
for sports participation, market intelligence
and public policy. 

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Not only do we authorize you to reproduce this
information, but we encourage you to do so.
Please give credit to 
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association 
(SGMA). 

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mike May
Director of Communications
SPORTING GOODS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
200 Castlewood Drive
North Palm Beach, FL 33408 USA
T: (561)-840-1165
F: (561)-863-8984
E: mmsgma@aol.com
Visit SGMA Online at:
SGMA: http://www.sgma.com 
Sports Edge Magazine:
http://www.sportsedgemag.com
The Super Show:
http://www.thesupershow.com