Peer-reviewed article

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Youth Sports Participation: Variations Across Demographic Characteristics.

Jones MS, Pierce H, Jensen LWC, Dufur MJ · 7 Jul 2026

Abstract

Despite growing research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent development, less is known about whether ACE exposure is associated with participation in organized sports and whether these associations vary across demographic groups. Using data from the 2020-2021 National Survey of Children's Health, this study examined associations between ACE exposure and organized sports participation among 33,705 U.S. adolescents ages 12-17 years (Mage = 14.7 ± 1.7 years; 49.7% female); 65.9% were non-Hispanic White, and 40.9% were at or above 400% of the federal poverty line. Logistic regression and predictive probability analyses showed that greater ACE exposure was generally associated with lower odds of sports participation, though associations varied by race/ethnicity. SES differences were modest and inconsistent, and gender differences were not significant. Findings contribute to developmental understandings of adolescence by showing that adversity may shape youth participation in organized sports, an important setting associated with positive adolescent development.