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nsass.bsky.social
NSASS
@nsass.bsky.social
The 2018-19 National Sports & Society Survey (NSASS) surveyed 3,993 US adults, focusing on sports-related behaviors, attitudes, and links to well-being. Initial piloting for a full follow-up wave of data collection is underway. PI: Chris Knoester
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New Year, new data! Exciting to continue 2018-19 NSASS data analyses & implement w/ CHRR Wave 2 Initial & Phase 2 Pilots that: a) re-interview orig. respondents & b) draw in new respondents as we seek to enact full NSASS W2—and ideally more! Prior work/attention documented: x.com/NSASS2017 nsass.org
National Sports and Society Survey
nsass.org
New research by Chris McLeod & Chris Knoester in @jssisport.bsky.social on parental expectations (n=785) for their child’s athletic achievements. First, we find much higher expectations for achievement than will translate into accomplishment, given sport achievement stats. doi.org/10.1177/0193...
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doi.org
November 19, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Excellent @jonsolomon35.bsky.social writeup of @aspeninstitute.bsky.social Project Play research on family commitments to youth sports!

(appreciated the integration of @nsass.bsky.social research on generational changes from Knoester & Bjork in piece)

projectplay.org/news/project...
Project Play survey: Parents spend 3+ hours every day on child’s sports - Project Play
If you’re the parent of a child in sports, chances are your life gets extremely hectic. It’s not just the extra costs with sports, although a 46% increase on family spending since 2019 that surpasse...
projectplay.org
November 18, 2025 at 12:47 PM
More kids are leaving youth sports than ever before-between 60 & 70 percent drop out before adulthood. Dawn Anderson-Butcher & Chris Knoester explain why so many kids are quitting, what the data reveals & how new approaches can help keep their heads & hearts in the game. www.osu.edu/impact/now-a...
Impact for Ohioans | The Ohio State University | The Ohio State University
www.osu.edu
October 12, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Great to speak with Sarah Crosbie about our recently published @jssisport.bsky.social research on the rise of private club and travel sports, on CONNECT with Sarah Crosbie on QR 770AM in Calgary!
open.spotify.com/episode/52Wd...
The surge of private club and travel teams in youth sports
open.spotify.com
October 2, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Reposted by NSASS
Surge in Private Clubs and Travel Teams Transforms Youth Sports Dynamics

In recent decades, the landscape of youth sports in the United States has undergone a profound transformation, marked notably by the explosive growth of private club and travel teams. A groundbreaking study published in the…
Surge in Private Clubs and Travel Teams Transforms Youth Sports Dynamics
In recent decades, the landscape of youth sports in the United States has undergone a profound transformation, marked notably by the explosive growth of private club and travel teams. A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues sheds new light on this phenomenon, revealing how participation in these specialized sports programs has surged dramatically among younger generations compared to those born in the mid-20th century.
scienmag.com
September 25, 2025 at 12:13 PM
New NSASS research in @jssisport.bsky.social by Chris Knoester & Chris Bjork. Shows increases in private club & travel sports part across generations, family SES differences, & links to family & community sport cultures as well as the duration of youth sport commitments.
doi.org/10.1177/0193...
doi.org
September 19, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Reposted by NSASS
Religious attendance linked to greater support for youth tackle football, study finds
Religious attendance linked to greater support for youth tackle football, study finds
Frequent churchgoers are more likely to say tackle football is appropriate for kids, according to new research. The study highlights how religious beliefs may influence support for the sport.
www.psypost.org
August 25, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Chris Knoester & Chris Bjork were on All Sides with Amy Jurevich, talking about their recent NSASS study on youth sports parenting. Bjork also discussed his book: More Than Just a Game: How the Youth Sports Industry Is Changing the Way We Parent and What to Do About It www.wosu.org/show/all-sid...
Discussing the ever-changing world of youth sports
What responsibility do parents have when it comes to supporting and enrolling their children in sports, and what should they look out for in an ever-changing environment?
www.wosu.org
June 27, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Reposted by NSASS
Modern-day parents are spending more time, money and resources on their kids’ sports activities than moms and dads from previous generations, new research shows.
www.healthday.com/health-news/...
Parents Are Pouring More Time, Money Into Youth Sports
FRIDAY, June 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Harried parents aren’t wrong to suspect something’s changed in what is expected of them when it comes to their children
www.healthday.com
June 20, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Appreciated the excellent write-up by @jgrabmeier.bsky.social of NSASS research by Chris Knoester & Chris Bjork. Evidence of increases in parental involvement in youth sports, across generations, & relevance of family SES, sports cultures, & youth sport commitments.
news.osu.edu/parents-spen...
Parents spending more time, resources and money on kids’ sports
Parents, it is not just your imagination – you are spending more time, money and resources on your kids’ sports activities than moms and dads from previous generations.A new nationwide study found tha...
news.osu.edu
June 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Impressive job done by high schoolers Rossy Soto, Grace Wang and Amaya Manzano, in their journalistic preparation and writing on youth sports! The @YouthcastMGrp program seemed to offer a wonderful opportunity and fantastic mentoring. www.youthcastmediagroup.org/post/competi...
Competitive youth sports culture leads to burnout and quitting for many in U.S.
By Rossy Soto, Grace Wang and Amaya ManzanoJune 10, 2025Youthcast Media Group®Ever since she started taking lessons at four years old, Marian Jimenez knew that swimming was her sport. Each kick and st...
www.youthcastmediagroup.org
June 17, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Nice to speak w/ the great @pbump.com for his analysis of youth sport connections to trans athlete attitudes in @washingtonpost.com. Appreciated use of NSASS & related research by Chris Knoester, Chris Bjork, Kirsten Hextrum & James Tompsett. Also, Project Play work. @tandfresearch.bsky.social
Parents are making increasing emotional and financial investments in youth sports. (One in 9 think their kids are going pro.) It’s a compounding factor in the push to make trans athletes a wedge issue. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Why youth sports is such a potent political target
The emotional and financial investment parents make in young athletes is strong wedge-issue fodder.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 4, 2025 at 3:41 PM
New NSASS study by Chris Knoester & Chris Bjork in Leisure/Loisir. Analyzes reports of parents’ involvement in youth sports, across generations. Based on US adults' recollections of parents' attendance, (other) support, & (family) expenditures @tandfresearch.bsky.social doi.org/10.1080/1492...
Parental involvement in youth sports: historical trends and links to generational, socioeconomic status, sport culture, and youth sport commitment contexts
Using data from the National Sports and Society Survey (N = 3,993) and multiple regression analyses, this study examined parents’ involvement in their children’s youth sports participation activiti...
doi.org
May 28, 2025 at 1:36 PM
"When you’re eating a ham sandwich on
the soccer sidelines at 3 p.m., is it time to reevaluate
your life? Don’t the Sports Gods know that people
work?" Youth sports and parenting analysis, drawing on NSASS, by Kara Baskin in @bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/23/l...
Parents: When you’re eating a ham sandwich on the soccer sidelines at 3 p.m., is it time to reevaluate your life? - The Boston Globe
Don’t the Sports Gods know that people work?
www.bostonglobe.com
May 26, 2025 at 12:33 AM
New NSASS research, in Sociology of Sport Journal, by Laura Upenieks, Joanne Ford-Robertson, & Chris Knoester. Does religiosity result in risk aversion, like w/ substance use, & less support for kids playing football? Or, might it enhance support for kids playing football? doi.org/10.1123/ssj....
Religiosity and U.S. Adult Support for Youth Tackle Football: Risk Aversion or Playing for the Glory of God?
Beloved as the most popular sport in the United States, football is a prominent part of American culture and social interactions and is associated with both personal and social benefits. However, yout...
doi.org
May 21, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Great to speak w/ David Cooper abt racial integration in sports & society on @lastshow.bsky.social. Based on NSASS work, "Sociology professor Chris Knoester explains that Americans overwhelmingly believe sports promote racial integration – but reality is more complex" www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2zA...
Harris Hawk in Hertfordshire - May 13, 2025 | The Last Show with David Cooper
YouTube video by The Last Show with David Cooper
www.youtube.com
May 14, 2025 at 5:11 PM
As we wrap up the Spring semester, a few NSASS updates: a) Congratulations to Emily Nothnagle for receiving a ’25-’26 SSI Graduate Student Research Grant! She will use NSASS data to continue to study sport, violence, and mental health relationships. sportsandsociety.osu.edu/news/sports-...
Sports and Society Initiative Graduate Student Research Grants Available
A limited number of SSI Student Research Grants will be awarded to graduate students who commit to conducting sports and society research with an SSI faculty affiliate from Summer 2025 through Spring ...
sportsandsociety.osu.edu
May 8, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Reposted by NSASS
Study finds Americans overwhelmingly believe sports promote racial integration—but reality is more complex
Study finds Americans overwhelmingly believe sports promote racial integration—but reality is more complex
Do sports really bring people together? According to a national survey, most Americans think so—especially those who’ve played on racially diverse teams.
www.psypost.org
May 2, 2025 at 4:22 PM
New NSASS research out regarding beliefs about sports & racial integration, with some consideration of personal sports-related racially integrated experiences, too. Study by Mariah Warner & Chris Knoester from Ohio State Sociology, now out in Sociology of Sport Journal: doi.org/10.1123/ssj....
Does Sport Bring Different Racial/Ethnic Groups Together? Examining U.S. Adults’ Beliefs and the Impact of Youth and Adult Sport Experiences
This study uses National Sports and Society Survey (N = 3,993) data and regression analyses to investigate the racial/ethnic diversity of sport participation experiences, perceptions of the impact of ...
doi.org
May 3, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Reposted by NSASS
What’s ahead for transgender women and girls competing in women’s sports

Dr. Kirsten Hextrum, assistant professor in the School of Language, Culture, and Society, untangles what recent rulings mean for transgender student athletes

Read more: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/slcs/what%E2...
What’s ahead for transgender women and girls competing in women’s sports | College of Liberal Arts
liberalarts.oregonstate.edu
March 3, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Neat to see NSASS research by Laura Upenieks, Brendan Ryan, & Chris Knoester featured in the most valuable & influential public-facing annual report on youth sports from Project Play! Study: doi.org/10.1123/ssj....
@jonsolomon35.bsky.social @aspeninstitute.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/jons...
February 11, 2025 at 1:16 AM
New NSASS research on sports-related mistreatment over the life course, by Mariah Warner & Chris Knoester, now out in Int’l J of the Soc of Leisure, OA.

Nearly 40% of US adult respondents (n=3849) reported ever being mistreated in their sports interactions, such as via..
doi.org/10.1007/s419...
Sports-related Mistreatment in the U.S.: Retrospective Recognitions and Connections to Social Structural Locations, Childhood Contexts, and Adult Characteristics - International Journal of the Sociolo...
Using U.S. survey data (N = 3849), this study examined recognized sports-related mistreatment, investigated risk factors for it, and offered descriptive evidence of types of mistreatment and reasons f...
doi.org
February 11, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Reposted by NSASS
“The researchers found that respondents who viewed female athletes as less deserving of attention, support, and media coverage were more likely to oppose transgender inclusion in sports.”
Survey analysis finds people who don't watch women's sports, think they are less deserving of media attention than men's sports, and think women should prioritize being thin are more likely to oppose transgender women's inclusion in women's sports
Transgender athletes’ rights was opposed by those who viewed female athletes as undeserving, study finds
A recent study found opposition to transgender athletes' inclusion in sports was more common among those with weaker interest in supporting, promoting, and watching female athletes.
www.psypost.org
January 18, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by NSASS
Trans people comprise a scant portion of athletes, at all levels, but the drive to bar them from participating in competitive sports has never been about numbers, Louisa Thomas writes.
What’s Really Behind the House Bill to Ban Transgender Athletes from School Sports?
Trans people comprise a scant portion of athletes, at all levels, but the drive to bar them from participating in competitive sports has never been about numbers.
www.newyorker.com
January 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM