Despite all of the energy today that goes into organized youth sports in some communities, the system misses a lot of kids. Of the 51 million children between the ages of 6 and 17, only 27 million play team sport in any form (organized or casual) even one time during the course of the year, according to a 2012 survey of U.S. households by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Less than 16 million – just three of every 10 kids – play sports on a regular basis. Indeed, the shut out and pushed out, as well as those who opt out, are the norm, denied an experience that has the potential to deliver an array of social, health and other benefits.
