We are talking about a 5 year trend in high school (and lower) participation. Kids are playing the one sport all year long, so they are doing fewer sports in total.
“Parents and/or their children are specializing in sports at an earlier age, or at least determining much earlier whether a particular sport or activity is for their liking.
I would posit that like in many other sports, the kids who show a lot of ability early are sticking with it, while those who struggle are looking for alternatives. Also, part of Pop Warner’s decline might be that with the hard core established at a young age, parents are looking for leagues they feel like have the best competition and coaching, and in some cases might feel their local Pop Warner league is wanting in that department, just like how travel-team baseball has become a strong competitor against the long-established Little League International.“