RESEARCH AND DATA
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SportsField Management Consumer Survey
SportsField Management magazine — through its partner company EPG Specialty Information and the MyVoiceRewards program — recently conducted a consumer survey to gauge sports field perceptions by athletic field / facility users and sports fans . The survey , conducted during July and August of 2024 , sought feedback from MyVoiceRewards members and garnered 583 responses .
SPORTS PARTICIPATION More than 80 % of all respondents indicated that they play / participate in a sport on a regular basis . Of those , many regularly participate in more than one sport .
The most popular sports among respondents were golf ( 30 %), swimming ( 26 %), tennis ( 24 %), basketball ( 22 %), football / flag football ( 12 %), volleyball ( 12 %), soccer ( 9 %), softball ( 9 %) and pickleball ( 8 %). Sports with 5 % or lower participation among respondents included archery , badminton , cycling , disc golf , hockey , lacrosse , rugby , skateboarding , skiing , and track and field , among others .
Of those who indicated that they play a particular sport , more than 80 % of respondents in each category play several times per month , with more than 50 % each of baseball , basketball and football players indicating that they play their sport weekly .
We asked respondents who play field sports about their preferred playing surface . Their responses were as follows : Baseball : 70 % prefer playing on natural grass , 20 % prefer playing on synthetic turf , 10 % had no preference . Field hockey : 47 % prefer natural grass , 29 % prefer synthetic , 24 % no preference . Football : 57 % prefer natural grass , 30 % prefer synthetic , 13 % no preference . Lacrosse : 28 % prefer natural grass , 44 % prefer synthetic , 28 % no preference . Rugby : 54 % prefer natural grass , 25 % prefer synthetic , 21 % no preference .
30 SportsField Management | September 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com