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COLUMN: 70% of Kids Drop Out of Sports by 13? Why the Ubiquitous Stat Is Wrong
Researchers say the long-cited 70% youth sports dropout figure lacks a clear source and conflicts with multiple studies.
- Research by Marty Fox of the Aspen Institute and Joseph Janosky of Lasell University found that the widely cited statistic "70% of kids quit before age 13" lacks a transparent, verifiable source.
- Parental pressure remains high, as the Aspen Institute's 2025 State of Play report found only 23% of parents with kids ages 6-10 support equal playing time policies for their children's development.
- Fox recast the issue based on his findings: the story is not that most kids quit sports by age 13, but rather that "kids quit most sports by age 13," highlighting specialization pressures.
- The American Enterprise Institute studied 262,000 Indiana high school students in 2023-24 and found a "double bump" effect of varsity sports participation on attendance, supporting broader participation goals.
- Tom Farrey, founder of Project Play, calls youth sports the "foundation upon which everything else sits," while the initiative aims to reach 63% nationwide participation by 2030.
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21 Articles
21 Articles
Helena Independent Record+19 Reposted by 19 other sources
COLUMN: 70% of kids drop out of sports by 13? Why the ubiquitous stat is wrong
What’s behind a statistic?
·Helena, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left3Leaning Right1Center17Last UpdatedBias Distribution81% Center
Bias Distribution
- 81% of the sources are Center
81% Center
14%
C 81%
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