Declining youth participation in team sports -- more in the 'burbs, less in the city and rural areas.

When I was a kid, I played baseball and basketball in organized leagues, both in and out of school, though never to the saturation level of some children playing today. Being on a team in a team sport can be a fine learning experience, so long as it's an actual team, although I've long held that I learned more about teamwork singing in choir and being in a play than from sports.

Consequently, the most fun I've ever had in "athletics" came from walking, biking and hiking -- often alone. Make the entire city a playground, and it will be used as such. Any other way, and the wealthier kids will get more of the rewards.

First, data suggesting that young people are less interested in team sports than before.

online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303519404579350892629229918">Youth Participation Weakens in Basketball, Football, Baseball, Soccer ... Fewer Children Play Team Sports, by Ryan Wallerson (Wall Street Journal)

... While high-school baseball participation rose 0.3% in the period, some data on the next generation of players presage a decline: Little League baseball—the biggest children's baseball league—reports that U.S. participation in its baseball and softball leagues in 2012 was 6.8% below that in 2008.

Then, following the data all the way to the 'burbs.

"Hey, data data -- swing!": The hidden demographics of youth sports, by Bruce Kelley and Carl Carchia (ESPN The Magazine)

 ... Indeed, Sabo's WSF data paints a distinct picture of suburbs where swaths of kids in elementary and middle school, especially boys, play on three, four or five teams, and the culture revolves around their practices, tourneys and getting to their games. In contrast, childhood in cities and rural areas isn't as intensely sports-focused.