Which sports have more Americans starting playing in recent years? According to the annual Topline Participation report, interest in one specific racket sport has begun to skyrocket. Using data from the 2023 edition of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Topline Participation report, the team at Charlottes Web™ created a ranked list of the 25 fastest-growing sports in America. The sports included in this study are the sports and activities from the SFIA report that take physical exertion and ability beyond the minimum, require physical skill, and have an element of competition.

Results of the annual Topline Report for 2023 show that overall physical activity among Americans has continued to increase, with the number of Americans who engaged in some type of sport or fitness growing for the fifth year in a row. The study found that 77.6% of Americans ages 6 and older participated in at least one activity in 2022, a 1.6% increase over 2021’s activity levels. Participation in team sports has also continued to rise after seeing a large drop-off during 2020 due to the pandemic. Americans participating in team sports increased to 23.2% in 2022. Check out the graphic below to see which sports in America have grown the fastest between 2018 and 2022.

Results of the annual Topline Report for 2023 show that overall physical activity among Americans has continued to increase, with the number of Americans who engaged in some type of sport or fitness growing for the fifth year in a row. The study found that 77.6% of Americans ages 6 and older participated in at least one activity in 2022, a 1.6% increase over 2021’s activity levels. Participation in team sports has also continued to rise after seeing a large drop-off during 2020 due to the pandemic. Americans participating in team sports increased to 23.2% in 2022. Check out the graphic below to see which sports in America have grown the fastest between 2018 and 2022.

What Is the Fastest-Growing Sport in America?

The fastest-growing sport in America is pickleball, with participation among Americans ages 6 and older increasing 171.1% between 2018 and 2022. Participation in pickleball has been on the rise year-over-year for the past five years, although it wasn’t until 2022 that participation numbers really exploded, with a massive increase of 85.7% from the previous year.

Of the fastest-growing sports in America, several winter sports have seen huge boosts in interest over the past four years. Alpine touring and winter fat biking were found to be the second and third fastest-growing sports in the U.S., with increases of 115% and 69.4%; snowboard touring is the fifth fastest-growing sport, with a 59.1% increase in participation since 2018.

The 10 Fastest-Growing Sports in America and Their Participation Increase From 2018 to 2022

     1. Pickleball: 171.1%

     2. Alpine touring: 115%

     3. Winter fat biking: 69.4%

     4. Off-course golf: 67.5%

     5. Snowboard touring: 59.1%

     6. Skateboarding: 38.8%

     7. Trail running: 32.4%

     8. Tennis: 32.3%

     9. Surfing: 28.5%

     10. Recreational kayaking: 23.1%

What Is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a racket sport that can be played indoor or outdoors using paddles and a perforated hollow ball on a court with a net in the middle. Pickleball can be played with two or four players, with opponents on either side of the net hitting the ball back and forth. Pickleball is often compared to a combination of ping-pong and tennis. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America, and it has been for the past couple of years. Cities around the country have begun to embrace this new sport by opening a multitude of pickleball clubs and converting existing courts into pickleball courts.

How Do You Play Pickleball?

Check out the “How to Play” guide from USA Pickleball for a full set of the rules of pickleball, including the proper way to play pickleball and rules for scoring in pickleball.

What Is the Most Popular Sport in America?

The most popular sport in America, based on the highest number of participants ages 6 and older, is riding a bicycle. Specifically, it’s bicycling on the road or a paved surface, which 43.55 million Americans did in 2022. That’s more than 14% of the U.S. population older than 6 who hit the paved bike trails just last year!

Which team sport is the biggest sport in America? The most popular team sport in America is basketball, with 28.15 million Americans ages 6 and older having played the sport in 2022. It’s also the sport with the fourth-most participants overall. The second-most popular team sport is baseball, with only half as many participants. According to the study, 15.48 million Americans played baseball in 2022.

The 10 Most Popular Sports in America by Number of Participants

     1. Bicycling on road/paved surface: 43.55 million

     2. Bowling: 42.29 million

     3. Freshwater/other fishing: 41.82 million

     4. Basketball: 28.15 million

     5. Golf on a nine- or 18-hole golf course: 25.57 million

     6. Tennis: 23.6 million

     7. Table tennis: 15.82 million

     8. Off-course golf: 15.54 million

     9. Baseball: 15.48 million

     10. Saltwater fishing: 14.34 million