The Rising Cost Of Youth Sports
The start of the school year is the kick-off (sometimes literally!) of the Fall and Winter sports seasons. But these cherished school activities are more expensive than ever to enjoy. Between inflation, the rising prevalence of travel leagues, and reduced funding for public school sports, the bill to pay has shot up. So how did youth sports get to be so expensive, and what can parents do about it?
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS
The Aspen Institute’s Project Play pioneered much of the work in understanding just how much school-age sports cost. Project Play studies broad issues in youth sports and athletics. When they consolidated data across a multitude of sports, the costs were high, even in the best of circumstances.
On average, parents pay around $900 a year, per child, for sports participation. Yet it only starts to tell the story. At the upper end, even some of the traditionally less expensive sports can reach up to $9,000 a year for a single child! A competitive travel team for a more expensive sport, like hockey, can reach $10,000 annually once equipment, rink, and travel expenses are included.
The Aspen Institute’s regular “State of Play” study found that almost half of the parents polled felt that they struggled to afford sports participation.
YOUTH SPORTS ANNUAL COST ESTIMATES AT A GLANCE
- Equestrian: $2,500 – $100,000
- Ice Hockey: $2,700 – $10,000
- Skiing/Snowboarding: $1,200 – $5,000
- Figure Skating: $800 – $10,000
- Tackle Football: $800 – $9,000
- Tennis: $600 – $10,000
- Soccer: $600 – $5,500
- Basketball: $500 – $5,000
- Baseball/Softball: $250 – $3,000
- Track & Field: $400 – $600
Figures composited from a My First Nest Egg study dated May 2023. Region, year, type of league, and many other factors will vary.
WHERE DO THE COSTS COME FROM?
One obvious culprit is equipment-heavy sports, like hockey or golf. As of 2023, FloHockey estimates that the cost for equipment alone can range between about $500 – $3,500. Consider that this equipment also requires maintenance and replacement. Younger athletes will quickly outgrow costly protective wear as well as regular gear like golf clubs or a baseball bat.
Instructional fees can also add up for sports like competitive dance or gymnastics, where you’ll pay studio fees and class fees and well as shell out an additional chunk of change for private lessons and competition outfits.
In the past few years, inflation has been added to the list of youth sports budgetary concerns. The Aspen Institute’s most recent study saw around 32% of parents reporting inflation as a cause for increasing sports cost. Given that high prices across the board are hitting families in the wallet, they need to make hard choices on big-ticket expenses in the budget. That can put youth sports participation at risk.
Participation fees also bear responsibility for youth sports price hikes. While negligible or non-existent in the 90’s, pay-to-play has become common. Budget cuts to school athletics programs are partly to blame for pushing costs onto parents. Some school districts even elected to charge uniform fees in defiance of state laws.
TRAVEL LEAGUES IN YOUTH SPORTS
Across all sports, travel fees are always a significant cost, if not the most expensive aspect. Travel leagues offer a lot of benefits – providing varied competition and challenging tournaments for players passionate about their sport and dedicated to growth. However, increased costs inevitably create a gap in participation. Lower-income families will be priced out of travel leagues – if they can afford pay-to-play in the first place. The result is that a segment of athletes miss out on the many benefits of league play: discipline, empathy, organizational skills, healthy habits, leadership, and self-esteem development.
Space for many sports also comes at a premium. Travel leagues use a wide range of facilities, which contributes to the cost. Some youth sports experts fear that the lure of that money will push venue owners to overlook local participants, negatively impacting their communities.
The complexities that rising costs impose on league play are a concern for John Engh of the National Alliance for Youth Sports. “When you include the travel component, there is real money being thrown at youth sports today and, whenever there is money involved, the motive starts to change. Instead of focusing on having a good, quality program, the people running the leagues start to choose kids who can afford to pay for the tournaments.”
CUTTING THE COST OF YOUTH SPORTS
Despite the participation price tag being higher than ever, there are steps you can take to support your young athlete! Consider a few of these measures to lighten the load:
- Budgeting: When you draft a budget each year, factor in youth sports expenses. Anticipate rising costs and talk to other parents to see what you can expect from age shifts (middle school and high school sports expectations can differ quite a bit).
- Fundraising: Many teams offer fundraising opportunities to help offset costs. Encourage your child to participate in these activities to reduce the financial burden. Some teams can rely heavily on parental volunteering or offer leadership roles to invested parents. Your dedication and involvement could improve cost-cutting efforts!
- Second-hand Equipment: Consider purchasing second-hand equipment or trading with other parents. Many online marketplaces and community groups offer gently used sports gear at a fraction of the cost.
- Scholarships and Grants: Look for scholarships and grants offered by local organizations, schools, and sports clubs. These can provide significant financial assistance to families in need.
- Make a Switch: Studies have identified a disconnect between parents and athletes as a common source of stress. Some students stay in sports they become disillusioned with because their parents push participation or because they feel the amount of money already invested has locked them into future seasons. Check-in with your kids to see if they want to continue with their sport. Interests and goals can change over time, and it might be that your young athlete is interested in a less expensive activity or wants to opt out of pricier forms of play.
IT’S A FAMILY DECISION
It’s important to keep an open and honest dialogue with your children to guide them in understanding the cost of youth sports. Part of the growth process that comes with athletics is to develop critical thinking. What’s most important to them – playing a specific sport they like or playing with friends? Do they have competitive goals or just want to play a game they love as much as possible? Do tournaments excite them, or would they rather skip all those long hours in a car? Are other leagues or teams available? Do they want to dabble in other sports?
Allowing your kids to have a say in their athletics career demonstrates that they are heard and valued. Guiding them to understand the realities of how finances connect to sports is important to their education. Rising costs will need to be reconciled with family goals and limits, and the best way to navigate that is to talk about it together. At the same time, no planning should be set in stone, as interests are always prone to changing…and prices are always prone to rising.
Remind your young athletes that their savings account can be a way to contribute to athletics goals. Let their passion for play inform their spending and saving behavior. For older athletes with Club Ignite accounts, a firm understanding of the costs to participate can encourage thoughtful budgeting.
Don’t have a youth account yet? Sparky’s Kids Club is available for ages 0-12, and teens up to age 18 can enjoy the benefits of a Club Ignite account (including 2.00% APY savings applied to this checking account*). Involving your youth athletes in the price to play (even if you are likely subsidizing most of that cost) establishes responsibility and solid financial habits for the future.
Posted In: Ignite, Sparky's Kids Club
