Great post, and you didn't even include the stat that is most favorable for soccer
6. Playing the Game
Handball, which requires only a wall, a ball, and one pal to play against, might be the only sport thats easier to play than soccer, where you need at least 3 pals.
So comparing soccer participation with hockey is difficult because it costs so much more to play hockey. And rinks are hard to find outside of the Northeast and Upper Midwest. For example, Los Angeles County only has eight.
One study, from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association in 2018, estimates that 2.2 million kids ages 6 to 12 play soccer while 324,000 play hockey. The same organization, in 2018, estimated that there are 11.9 million soccer players of all ages, and 2.5 million hockey players. USA Hockey has 383,652 registered youth players and 561,700 overall. US Youth soccer estimates that there are 3 million soccer players aged 5 to 19.