Who's in the Game? Cross‐Sectional Analysis of Sport Participation in Youth With and Without Disabilities

Background Although participating in youth sports benefits both youth with and without disabilities, those with disabilities are less likely to participate in organized sports than peers without disabilities and little remains known about the specific types of sports or the amount of time youth with disabilities engage. The present study is designed to address this gap, providing a descriptive understanding of the amount of time youth with disabilities play different sports and what type of sports these youth are participating in. Methods A total of 1725 parents, guardians, and caregivers of youth athletes completed a national survey evaluating the state of youth sports in the United States, with 54.4% selecting that their child had a type of disability. Results Using negative binomial regression, youth with disabilities play more days per week than youth without disabilities ( p < 0.001), but average about one month less per year participating in their primary sport ( p < 0.001). Using chi‐square test of independence followed by standardized residuals, youth with disabilities were more likely to play badminton ( Z = −3.58), biathlon ( Z = −2.43) and canoeing ( Z = −2.25) and less likely to participate in soccer ( Z = 2.53) and volleyball ( Z = 2.46) compared with their peers without disabilities. When controlling for geographic region and disability type, additional differences in sport participation emerged. Conclusion The distinct patterns in the types of sports that youth with disabilities participate in are likely influenced by multiple factors, including difficulties with physical access, lack of inclusion and increased time requirements. Because specific social and structural factors contribute to the types of sports youth with disabilities choose to participate in, it is worth continued exploration of participation trends, barriers and facilitators of sport involvement. Future studies should consider disability‐specific differences in sports participation, with emphasis on the amount and types of sports youth are playing.