Youth Swim Participation Falls More Than 20% in Six Years

According to a new report from The Aspen Sports Institute, the percentage of six to 12-year-old children who have taken part in youth swim teams has fallen 23% from 2019-2025. The report reflects a longer trend in official membership data at USA Swimming. In 2019, USA Swimming recorded roughly 411,000 members and by 2024, the official figure fell to 379,000.

The same report points to another troubling trend: swimming participation among 13-17-year-olds fell even more starkly, declining more than 39% in the same period. This suggests swimming is facing issues in initial participation and long-term retention. The decline been concentrated among families that make less than $25,000 annually.

The drop in core sports participation reflects a broader trend in youth sports participation among nearly all of the sports surveyed. In fact, only five sports–basketball, flag football, golf, soccer, and tennis–showed core sport growth among six to 12-year-olds in six years spanning the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only golf and tennis saw participation grow among 13-17-year-olds in the same timeframe. The fall in USA Swimming membership also coincides with a raise in the club fees for the organization. In July 2024, USA Swimming proposed a 250% increase in club dues , a cost that was eventually negotiated and reduced, though it’s worth noting the change marked the first update to club dues since 1990.

Organizational changes have taken on a new valence under USA Swimming CEO Kevin Ring, who assumed his new role in September of 2025. In positive news for swimmers, Ring came from Legends Golf, one of the few sports ecosystems that was able to grow its membership. Under Ring’s guidance, USA Swimming retooled its sport development program by half a million dollars in 2025 by reducing credit fees, the annual summit budget, and technology expenses while maintaining direct club engagement services.

The changes have not been enough for some swim clubs, with programs electing to affiliate with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in recent years. Earlier this year, USA Swimming also saw new appointments to its Board of Directors that saw two-time Olympians Tom Dolan and Gunnar Bentz plus NCAP President Tom Ugast join the Board.

Earlier this month, USA Swimming ’s Sport Development Managing Director Joel Shinofield left the organization after being named CEO at USA Rowing. With no replacement for Shinofield yet announced, USA Swimming will have to rely on its committee structure–namely the Age Group, LSC, and Club Development Committees–to tackle lagging membership.