The Fastest Growing Sports for Kids in 2026: What 2025 Tells Us
Every year, we look at youth-sport participation trends to understand one simple thing: What are kids most excited to play? One of the first steps we take is reviewing the information and data from the year before. In 2025, we saw explosive growth in girls sports, a surge in volleyball and flag football, steadiness in soccer, and a shift toward sports that feel fast, social, and accessible.
As we head into 2026, here are the sports likely to grow the fastest, based on 2025 participation data, national trends, and what we’re seeing at i9 Sports®.
1. Girls Flag Football: The Movement Is Real
Girls flag football is no longer a niche or novelty. In the 2024-25 academic year, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) reported 68,847 girls playing high school flag football, a 60% increase over the prior year.
To put that in perspective: just a few years ago, the sport was relatively small. Since the first post-pandemic NFHS survey, participation in girls’ flag football has climbed by roughly 388%.
Institutional growth mirrors that. Nearly 1,000 additional schools added girls flag football programs between 2023-24 and 2024-25. Over 20 states are sanctioning or piloting girls high school flag football programs, which will only increase in 2026.
Why this matters for 2026:
When you see record-setting growth, rising institutional support, and broad youth engagement, that’s no longer a fad. It’s a movement. Girls flag football will certainly be among the top two fastest-growing youth sports in 2026, and likely even beyond that with the addition of women’s flag football to the 2028 Olympics. Expect growing demand for girls leagues, more school partnerships, and increased community visibility.
2. Volleyball is Quietly Evolving Into a Powerhouse
Volleyball has long been popular, but 2025 suggests it’s entering a new growth phase for both boys and girls.
At the high-school level, boys volleyball participation is rising sharply: in 2024-25, the NFHS reported 95,972 boys playing high school volleyball, that’s an increase of 10,717 players year-over-year, or 12.6% growth in boys volleyball participation.
At i9 Sports®, volleyball registrations rose by over 30% in 2024 vs. 2023, with nearly 13,000 additional children trying the sport. In 2025, volleyball continued growing, with over a 20% increase in participation from 2024.
Meanwhile, long-term national data show that girls’ volleyball remains one of the most popular girls’ sports across high-school athletics.
Why this matters for 2026:
Volleyball is appealing to kids because it’s a fast-paced environment focused on teamwork and support. Its inclusivity for both genders and its growing youth and high-school numbers points to sustained growth. For i9 Sports®, youth volleyball will remain one of the top three fastest-growing sports for both co-ed and girls programs.
3. Soccer: Steady, Stable, Foundation-Level Participation
While soccer may not be posting explosive year-over-year jumps like flag football or volleyball, it remains a cornerstone of youth sports.
Not only is soccer one of the top choices for beginners to have fun, get their energy out, and learn basic motor skills, but the World Cup coming to the US in 2026! This means soccer will be at the forefront of families’ minds when it comes to sport participation. When sports are in the spotlight, they tend to see increases in participation.
From a parental survey between August 2024–August 2025, roughly 1 in 4 (26%) kids played soccer, comparable to football and just slightly behind basketball.
Why this matters for 2026:
Soccer will remain one of the most played foundational youth sports. Growth may come primarily from younger and first-time players, as families look for flexible, low-commitment options that still teach core motor skills and life lessons like teamwork.
Looking ahead to 2026, the youth sports scene is evolving rapidly. Our data shows parents are prioritizing sports that are fast, social, and convenient. The biggest takeaways for your family? Girls flag football is the explosive new movement, and an empowering new option for your daughter. Volleyball is skyrocketing in popularity, solidifying itself as a top powerhouse sport that offers great team dynamics. And, as always, soccer remains a foundational sport and will continue to grow with the spotlight it will have in 2026. By choosing one of these fastest-growing youth sports for 2026, you’re setting your child up for a fun, engaging, and meaningful experience.
References
Aspen Institute. (2024). Project Play: State of Play 2024. https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2024-introduction
AVCA. (2024). Boys volleyball participation grows over 10,000 athletes. American Volleyball Coaches Association. https://www.avca.org/blog/boys-volleyball-participation-grows-over-10000-athletes/
i9 Sports®. (2025). The fastest-growing sport in 2025. https://www.i9sports.com/the-fastest-growing-sport-in-2025
Morning Consult. (2025). Americans’ youth sport participation trends. https://pro.morningconsult.com/analysis/americans-youth-sport-participation-2025
National Federation of State High School Associations. (2024). Participation in high school sports hits record high with sizable increase in 2024–25. https://nfhs.org/stories/participation-in-high-school-sports-hits-record-high-with-sizable-increase-in-2024-25
National Federation of State High School Associations. (2024). High school football continues to rebound from pre-pandemic decline. https://nfhs.org/stories/high-school-football-continues-to-rebound-from-pre-pandemic-decline
NFL Football Operations. (2024). Flag Football growth. https://operations.nfl.com/learn-the-game/flag-football/flag-football-growth
SFIA – Sports & Fitness Industry Association. (2024). Topline participation report: 247.1 million Americans were active in 2024. https://sfia.org/resources/sfias-topline-participation-report-shows-247-1-million-americans-were-active-in-2024
Timmermann, N. (2024). High school sports participation reaches record 8.3 million athletes as girls’ programs drive growth. Youth Sports Business Report. https://youthsportsbusinessreport.com/high-school-sports-participation-reaches-record-8-3-million-athletes-as-girls-programs-drive-growth-via-nfhs/
About the Author
Tyler Munoz
Manager Of Sport, i9 Sports®
Tyler is responsible for creating and implementing national training programs for coaches and over 240 franchisees to achieve the company’s mission to help kids succeed in life through sports.
Tyler grew up in Modesto, California, playing baseball, basketball and football from the age of 5. Sports have always been at the center of his life and have been something that he has dedicated his life to making a positive impact in.
He discovered his passion - supporting coaches to ensure they can provide a quality sport experience to the athletes that they coach during his education at California State University, Fresno. He earned his Master of Arts in Kinesiology – Sport Psychology and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in Sport Coaching from California State University, Fresno.
After graduating, Tyler spent a year in New Zealand and Australia, where he studied and participated in the two countries’ sport environments, athlete development systems, and coaching models.
After his travels, he joined the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) Coaching Education Department as the American Development Model and Youth Development fellow. Tyler was able to collaborate and coordinate sport development projects with several National Governing Bodies and assist the Coaching Education team with creating and updating resources related to coach training and the American Development Model.
Tyler continued to consult with the USOPC on initiatives related to the American Development Model the Quality Coaching Framework and ultimately, developed an online course, Foundations of the American Development Model. In 2020, he accepted a position with USA Football as the Senior Manager of Coach Education.
During his three years there, he was able to redesign the organization’s coach education certification, which led to USA Football achieving its’ one millionth coach certification in 2022. Tyler has coached football, baseball, and basketball at all levels of sport (recreational, scholastic, national, and international) throughout his life and is passionate about giving back to the communities in which he has lived.
Presentations and Awards:
College of Health and Human Services- Outstanding Project Award
Presented graduate project at the 39th Annual Central California Research Symposium
Olympic & Paralympic Coach Magazine Spring 2020- ADM & Me: Insights in Learning from my USOPC Fellowship
Presented at the USA Football National Conference 2020
Presented at the National Post Olympic and Paralympic Conference of Sport & Science at the Wingate Institute in Israel
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