Fastest growing sport in America?

Soccer has been big with children since the 70's. It's apparent with the women's success winning two of the last three world cups. With boys, their primary organized sprots are baseball, soccer and to a lesser extent basketball. Boys that are bigger and stronger shift over to football and basketball. Overall soccer is saturated at the youth level and is not displacing hockey as the fourth major league in team sports.

The one way soccer is growing is the development of youth clubs. Youth clubs have professional coaches, typically with university or international experience. Organized soccer (AYSO) has volunteer coaches which can mean no experience all the way up to club level coaching.

 

In St. Louis Missouri soccer is by far the most popular and played by more kids than any other sport. It's also played all year here

Lacrosse is growing fast here.. kids are practicing it all over

 

I do believe this quote could be from 2007, 1997, 1987, and maybe even 1977. The boys that are growing to be more than 5'9" soon are thinking about playing for the Rams, Chiefs, or....what basketball team do kids root for there?