Activity rates are continuing their ascent, the recovery of several key team sports is looking stickier and stickier, pickleball is leveling out, and affordability is an increasing concern, according to SFIA’s First Half Game Plan 2026: Key Moves in Sports Participation. In its second annual mid-year update to the Topline Participation Report, SFIA found that total participation for the trailing 12 months ended in June stood at 81.3%, up from 80.5% in June ‘25 and rising steadily since the estimated mid-year 75.6% in 2020.

The industry-critical core participation rate, however, is still ... Log in to view full article.