The Toronto Star (June 3, 2008 Source: The Canadian Press) reports on a new study that says a smaller percentage of Canadian children participated regularly in organized sports activities in 2005 than in 1992, and the decline was larger for boys.

The Statistics Canada study also found that participation in sports rose with household incomes and the education levels of parents. It concluded that sports participation rates among children were highest in smaller towns and cities, and that children in Canada's three largest cities were least likely to participate in organized sports on a regular basis.

Soccer, replaced swimming and became the most frequently reported sport for both boys and girls in 2005. In 2005, 51 per cent of children regularly took part in organized sports during the 12 months prior to the survey, down from 57 per cent in 1992. About half of these active children participated in more than one organized sport. Active children played on average about 2.6 times per week per sport during their sport's season.