What are the hottest sports for your kids?Fitness - Alexandria Virginia

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Wondering where the longest lines are likely to be as you begin to sign your kids up for sports teams and lessons? We don't have a crystal ball, but we do have the latest kids' sports stats from Statistics Canada. Here's what you need to know.

It's official: soccer is hot with Canadian kids. At a time when the sports participation rates of 5 to 14 year olds are on the decline overall (from 57 percent in 1992 to 51 percent in 2005), Canadian kids are taking to the soccer field like beavers to the beaver pond. That's the official word from Statistics Canada, which published a mammoth study of Canadian kids and sports just as the school year was wrapping up.

According to the study, which examined the ten most popular organized sports for 5 to 14 year olds in 2005, the most popular sports with Canadian kids (ranked in order of popularity) are

1.    Soccer

2.    Swimming

3.    Hockey

4.    Basketball

5.    Baseball

6.    Volleyball

7.    Gymnastics

8.    Karate

9.    Downhill Skiing

10.  Track and field.

The times are clearly changing when it comes to the world of sports.

While soccer has gained in popularity (it's now the sport of choice of 20% of Canadian kids), sports such as baseball, swimming, downhill skiing, volleyball, gymnastics, and figure skating are on the decline. And the gender gap?once huge in the world of sports?continues to narrow. Both hockey and soccer have become more popular with girls, while traditional girls sports like swimming and figure-skating have become less popular with girls.

So what sports will your kids be signing up for this fall? How do you fit your kids' sports activities into your family's schedule and budget? Are you involved in your kids' sports as a coach or a behind-the-scenes volunteer? What role do you think parents have to play in encouraging kids to participate in sports?