Just over half (54%) of children ages 6 to 17 in the U.S. played on a sports team or took lessons in 2022, down from 58% in 2017, according to federal data. That decline has driven the Aspen Institute to issue a call to action for its network of more than 20,000 leaders engaged with Project Play to get at least 63% of youth playing sports by the end of the decade.