Key Takeaways
- Junior team sports equipment sales grew 3% to $1.6 billion, but unit volume fell 3% over the same 12 months.
- Average selling prices rose 7%, per Circana, meaning families spent more while taking home fewer items.
- Baseball and softball accounted for nearly half the segment at $772 million, growing 8% with units also up.
- Cost is the most cited obstacle to team sports, named by 41% of parents surveyed.
U.S. junior team sports equipment sales reached $1.6 billion during the 12 months ending July 2026, growing 3% year over year, according to retail sales data from Circana, LLC released August 31. Unit sales fell 3% across the same period. The difference between those two numbers is price: average selling prices rose 7%, according to Circana, which means the category’s dollar growth came from families paying more, not buying more.
Higher Prices, Fewer Units Sold
The 3% dollar gain and the 3% unit decline tell one story when read together. Circana attributed the dollar increase largely to higher average selling prices rather than expanded demand.
Matt Tucker, director of client development for Circana’s sports equipment business, said in the announcement that families continue to prioritize youth sports for benefits that go beyond physical activity, but that “affordability remains the biggest challenge facing participation.” He pointed to cost as the most cited obstacle for team sports, named by 41% of parents. Tucker also flagged tariff uncertainty and the potential for additional pricing pressure across sporting goods categories.
For manufacturers and retailers, a 7% price increase against a 3% unit decline is a manageable trade. For leagues and program operators absorbing gear costs, or for the families buying it, the math is less forgiving.
Baseball, Softball and Lacrosse Drove Category Gains
Baseball and softball remains the largest team sports equipment category in the junior segment, generating nearly $772 million over the past 12 months, an 8% increase versus the prior year, according to Circana’s Retail Tracking Service data. That performance was supported by a modest increase in units sold. Gloves, mitts, batting gloves and protective gear each posted gains in both dollars and units, per Circana.
Football, the second-largest category, totaled nearly $380 million in junior equipment sales, up 2% year over year. Circana said growth was led by football sales, which increased in both dollars and units.
Lacrosse was the fastest-growing team sports category in the junior segment. Dollar sales rose 10% and unit sales rose 5%, driven by lacrosse sticks and protective gear, according to Circana.
The pattern worth noting: the three categories that grew in units are also the three where protective equipment carries required, replaceable, size-dependent inventory. Gear that a growing 12-year-old cannot skip is gear that gets bought regardless of price.
How Many U.S. Kids Play Organized Sports?
Participation data runs in the opposite direction from unit sales. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s 2026 Topline Participation Report found that team sports posted the highest year-over-year growth of any major activity category in 2025, with Gen Z participation at 60%, as cited by Circana.
The National Survey of Children’s Health reports that 55% of U.S. youth ages 6 to 17 participate in organized sports or sports lessons, a figure that has been growing steadily since 2021.
More kids are playing while fewer units are moving through retail. That gap points to secondhand purchases, hand-me-downs, extended replacement cycles, and league-supplied equipment absorbing demand that no longer shows up in point-of-sale data.
A 7% Price Increase Meets a 41% Cost Objection
Tucker said parents are making thoughtful decisions about where and how they spend, but that youth sports remain a priority household investment. He framed the forward challenge as keeping rising costs from limiting access for the next generation of athletes, and said organizations that balance value with affordability will be best positioned long term.
The tension is already measurable. Prices are up 7% in a category where 41% of parents already name cost as their primary obstacle, and Circana has signaled that tariffs could push those prices further. Whoever solves for the family that keeps its kid enrolled while buying one less item per season captures the next dollar in this market.
- Source: Circana, August 31, 2026, https://www.circana.com/post/us-consumers-are-spending-on-youth-team-sports-equipment-amid-rising-costs-according-to-circana
- Source: Yahoo Finance, August 31, 2026, https://finance.yahoo.com/small-business/articles/us-consumers-spending-youth-team-140300387.html
- Source: SGB Online, August 31, 2026, https://sgbonline.com/circana-youth-team-sports-equipment-revenue-gains-boosted-by-inflation-baseball/
YSBR provides this content on an “as is” basis without any warranties, express or implied. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability, or use of the information, including any images, videos, or licenses associated with this article. For any concerns, including copyright issues or complaints, please contact YSBR directly.
About Youth Sports Business Report
Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
Who founded Youth Sports Business Report?
Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.
What does YSBR cover?
YSBR delivers original reporting and market intelligence on youth sports facilities, youth sports technology, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital deals, NIL policy, coaching development, equipment and apparel, tournaments and events, and community sports initiatives. Readers include industry executives, investors, facility owners and operators, league administrators, and youth sports parents.
Youth Sports Business Report resources
- Newsletter: Subscribe to Youth Sports HQ, the most-read newsletter on the business of youth sports, delivering curated youth sports industry news and analysis to thousands of industry leaders every week.
- Research: Read the Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, an exclusive YSBR and Kinetica Group analysis of market size, parent spending, and marketplace opportunities.
- Jobs: Browse the YSBR Youth Sports Job Board, the most comprehensive destination for careers in youth sports, with hundreds of active listings across facility management, league operations, coaching, sports technology, and marketing.
- Services: Find vetted partners and solutions for your organization in the YSBR Services Hub, connecting youth sports operators, brands, and investors with verified providers across the industry.
- About: Learn more about Youth Sports Business Report and our editorial standards.
Follow Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR): LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | Substack
Check out Jr. Sports Marketing on YouTube or Spotify
Hosted by Cameron Korab, founder of Youth Sports Business Report, Jr. Sports Marketing features candid 1-on-1 conversations with the brands, athletes, leagues, and innovators building the future of youth sports. Each episode breaks down how the smartest brands are activating, building equity, and winning with youth sports families. If you’re an operator, founder, investor, or marketer trying to understand where this space is headed, this is your show.
Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
