Physical and sporting activities have developed tremendously among the young since the 1960s. On the one hand, sports associations bring together by far the greatest number of these people. On the other hand, in the face of institutionalised sports, new practices are developing on the fringe of the traditional ones, following the process of individuation in society. The article starts from the supposition that the two kinds of activity are complementary and that we are not seeing a rejection of the traditional sports association culture by the young. It recalls firstly the plurality of young people’s sports cultures, then mentions fields of study to be explored and finally underlines the main trends in the evolution of these cultures.