33 Taiwan Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association Further, all seven of the major activity categories increased participation rates in 2023. Team Sports continued its strong comeback from the pandemic period, adding a remarkable 8 million new team sports participants in 2023, after having clawed back to pre-pandemic numbers in 2022. We see a similar positive trend in fitness activities and health club memberships. Racquet sports too maintained healthy growth, fueled not only by pickleball’s now widely recognized explosion (up 223% in three years, 13.6 million total players in 2023) but also healthy tennis participation trends working from an already sizable base. Golf is leveraging non-traditional ways to play, such as off-course entertainment/golf venues and high-tech simulators, to draw new participants while not cannibalizing on-course play. This reflects a notable trend in participation, namely growth from nontraditional ways of playing traditional sports: Topgolf, cardio tennis, small sided soccer games, and female flag football. SFIA is also tracking key influences we see affecting the future of sports participation. From the “Caitlin Clark effect” to burgeoning professional leagues in women’s soccer, hockey, and volleyball, to inflow investments from private equity, we may be at an inflection point for girls and women’s sports in America. Can the sports industry and broader stakeholder community welcome this new attention and deliver the grass roots participation experiences girls and women will expect in the future? The evolution of female athletes further creates long term opportunities for the fitness industry. After finishing competitive youth/high school sports, this cohort represents a massive opportunity for deep, lifetime engagement with health clubs and boutiques. Also, the United States will host a bevy of global sports events – from the Copa America and ICC Cricket World Cup in 2024, to the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2026, and the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028. SFIA’s long term analysis of the “Olympic Bounce” impact on participation
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