Cost of sports in your area

[we3travellers]

I'm really just curious more than anything. We live in Canada and things are generally more costly. My son is only 8, but has narrowed his loves down to just 2 sports. But he is all in and plays both house league and rep for both. In 2015 we have spent:

Lacrosse $650
$255 house league + $350 rep, no new equipment and no camps this year

Hockey $2110
$450 house league + $800 select + camp $300 + camp $360 + skates $200
Will probably need new shin pads, shoulder pads and stick, but may make these Christmas presents.
Will also do one away tournament in 2016 (hotels, meals, etc.)

Next season 2016/2017 he will not have to play house league if he plays rep, but the fees go way up over $2000. Yikes! I also expect lacrosse to get more expensive.

 

[Narnia_girl]

Both my boys played football for our public high school. There was no fee to play but as I often said, "it might be free, but it's not cheap!"

 

[JediBonas]

Well, my kiddos are still young (3) and just started.

DD - Ballet - $50/month + shoes, leotard, tights + $50 for recital costume + $25 for recital shirt and tights.

DS - Soccer - $120/6 week session.

I played field hockey throughout HS and college and only ever really paid for my sticks, cleats and mouth/skin guards. Everything else was covered. If I remember correctly in college they would provide sticks, too, but I was picky and didn't like the ones offered.

 

[MichiganKris]

My daughter plays volleyball. I would guess I probably spend about $500 for the high school season (not including my gas money to get to the away games). The Club/Travel Season costs me about $2500 plus meals and gas since none of the games are local.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our expensive sports are club soccer ($2000) and Irish dance ($10,000+ for two). I put +, because I refuse to actually calculate the cost. HS sports are $200 a year.

 

[lovetheduck]

Around here most of the team sports (soccer, lacrosse, field hockey) seem to be similarly priced. When the kids are young (house league) it's $350-$400, which is usually one after school practice and one weekend local game. When they start playing travel it's around $450-$500. Two after school practices and one weekend game, usually not more than an hour away. Select teams vary from $1000-$2500 per season depending on the sport and number of weeks, and does not include travel expenses (which usually include overnights). Prices for house and travel include your jersey but not equipment. Select teams vary on whether or not they include uniforms. Camps are extra but not usually "required". What I have found as my DD gets older is that in some sports (particularly lacrosse which is very popular here) you will not make the travel or select teams if you do not play in the off season. It gets so competitive by fifth grade that if you wait till try outs and walk in cold you won't be able to keep up unless you are an exceptional player. We have our DD11 signed up for an 8 week fall select team ($1000 plus travel expenses- 5 practices plus 3 tournaments), 12 weeks of indoor clinics in the winter ($900 for 1 hr a week), all in the hope that she will make a team (A or B) in the spring. They usually have about 80-100 girls try out for 40 travel spots.
Hockey and tennis prices are higher due to the cost of ice and court time.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Club soccer for two kids runs about $2000 per year in registration fees, $500 in uniform costs ($250 per kid, every other year, not counting cleats and specialized equipment like goalie gloves), about $750 in individual team fees, plus travel costs. Probably about $4000 per year in soccer costs.

 

[havaneselover]

DD 12's swim group is $2,650 / year plus $150 or so in registration fees. Local meet entry fees run another $500 or so. Travel trips cost about $400 each (she did one last year and will do at least one this year). There's also a $225/year fundraising obligation. Summer league (neighborhood pool) is additional.

DS plays rec soccer and basketball. They are relatively affordable--I think $150/season for soccer and $100 for basketball.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm really just curious more than anything. We live in Canada and things are generally more costly. My son is only 8, but has narrowed his loves down to just 2 sports. But he is all in and plays both house league and rep for both. In 2015 we have spent:

Lacrosse $650
$255 house league + $350 rep, no new equipment and no camps this year

Hockey $2110
$450 house league + $800 select + camp $300 + camp $360 + skates $200
Will probably need new shin pads, shoulder pads and stick, but may make these Christmas presents.
Will also do one away tournament in 2016 (hotels, meals, etc.)

Next season 2016/2017 he will not have to play house league if he plays rep, but the fees go way up over $2000. Yikes! I also expect lacrosse to get more expensive.

My daughter danced. When she was in high school, that meant 6 classes a week (Tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, street tap and ballroom) at $450 each for the year ($2700), her duet class ($1000 for the year), recital costumes at approx. $75 each ($525), plus shoes, leos, tights and recital photos (another $300-$400) so somewhere around $4500 for the year. And she wasn't on any of the competition teams (Thank goodness) so we didn't have all those fees.

 

[tvguy]

Little League $125
Soccer $90
High School sports, free other than a $100 fee to pay for the buses to away games*.

Most of the costs are paid by sponsors/donors. I was President of the Little League and discovered a lot of businesses have an actual budget for community sponsorships. A local title company noticed we were using little Honda riding mowers to cut the grass on our 6 fields, took about an hour to cut the outfield on the fields with 90 foot basepaths. They donated a $10,000 professional mower that could cut those fields in 5 minutes.

Now, "comp" and "travel" teams, that is a whole different story. My son was offered a slot on a 13-14 USSSA travel team 14 years ago, and the up front cost was $7,500.....one of their opponents was 1500 miles away in Dallas! Lady I work with has an 11 year old in comp soccer, they've driven 1,100 miles already roundtrip to away games on the weekend, and I think the season is only 5 weeks old.

*One year we did play in an Easter tournament in Las Vegas......8 days in Las Vegas for all food, hotel, transportation. Cost before sponsors were approached was $1,000 a player. After was $125.

 

[havaneselover]

Little League $125
Soccer $90
High School sports, free other than a $100 fee to pay for the buses to away games*.

Most of the costs are paid by sponsors/donors. I was President of the Little League and discovered a lot of businesses have an actual budget for community sponsorships. A local title company noticed we were using little Honda riding mowers to cut the grass on our 6 fields, took about an hour to cut the outfield on the fields with 90 foot basepaths. They donated a $10,000 professional mower that could cut those fields in 5 minutes.

Now, "comp" and "travel" teams, that is a whole different story. My son was offered a slot on a 13-14 USSSA travel team 14 years ago, and the up front cost was $7,500.....one of their opponents was 1500 miles away in Dallas! Lady I work with has an 11 year old in comp soccer, they've driven 1,100 miles already roundtrip to away games on the weekend, and I think the season is only 5 weeks old.

*One year we did play in an Easter tournament in Las Vegas......8 days in Las Vegas for all food, hotel, transportation. Cost before sponsors were approached was $1,000 a player. After was $125.

My brother played baseball through college (and now is a a college baseball coach). I don't think when he was playing there were travel times or if there were, they weren't in my area. My parents really got off easily. Now in addition to coaching he gives batting lessons and people pay which cost $90/hour. I can't begin to imagine...

 

[pittsburghmom]

T-ball: $55 (includes hat & jersey). Bought glove, bag, bat & pants at yard sales for a few dollars.
Minor League: $100 (includes hat & jersey). Yard sale deals again for equipment.
Swim Club swim team: $450 for the season (Oct-March). Will get back $100 when volunteer requirement is met. $29 for team suit. No fees for meets.
AMS Swimming (USA Swimming): $72 registration fee, plus had to deposit about $100 into an escrow account to cover meet fees ($5 per event) and coach's fees.

 

[austinsmommie]

My son is 13, and plays hockey for a travel elite team. Tuition is $2300. That doesn't include camp which was $450.00. He will do 2 tournaments and they did a spring season(I forget what that cost) extra cost. Plus he needed all new gear this year, and he is the goalie. We travel 2-3 hours each way for a lot of his game so that costs more. I have never added it all up, I don't think I want to know! A friend of my pays $3500.00 for her son to play hockey and I have heard of some teams my sons plays pays almost $5000.00.

My daughter does gymnastics at $150 a month/ year round and Dance is $85.00 monthly for 2 classes. Then you add in the shoes, tights, leotards and costumes. She is going to competition for dance this year which involves more fees, and is on pre-team for gymnastic so that will start costing more once she moves to team.

 

[bethy]

High school club Crew (there is no school team): approx $7000 not including family travel, if applicable (we don't go on every trip)

 

[tvguy]

My brother played baseball through college (and now is a a college baseball coach). I don't think when he was playing there were travel times or if there were, they weren't in my area. My parents really got off easily. Now in addition to coaching he gives batting lessons and people pay which cost $90/hour. I can't begin to imagine...

Yes we have those coaches here too for both baseball hitting and pitching and soccer. Except ours only charge $75 an hour!
The transition to high school baseball in interesting, where you have 40 or 50 "Allstars" trying out for 20 spots. My son's high school team toured UNLV and the coach noted it changes at the college level too.....he had several good players who not only were never Allstars, they never played high school baseball.

 

[22Tink]

I'm really just curious more than anything. We live in Canada and things are generally more costly. My son is only 8, but has narrowed his loves down to just 2 sports. But he is all in and plays both house league and rep for both. In 2015 we have spent:

Lacrosse $650
$255 house league + $350 rep, no new equipment and no camps this year

Hockey $2110
$450 house league + $800 select + camp $300 + camp $360 + skates $200
Will probably need new shin pads, shoulder pads and stick, but may make these Christmas presents.
Will also do one away tournament in 2016 (hotels, meals, etc.)

Next season 2016/2017 he will not have to play house league if he plays rep, but the fees go way up over $2000. Yikes! I also expect lacrosse to get more expensive.

I hear you! My son (16) plays both. I'm in Canada, too.
Lacrosse is cheaper here in central BC because we don't have many teams but hockey is a killer!! He's also the goalie in hockey so buying him new equipment really hurts! We have at least 2 away tournaments before Christmas alone. Just had a 3 day one this past weekend. Not to mention lots of our league games are away as well. Good thing he loves it!!!

 

[NinaBella]

We spend at least $4500 on tuition and fees for competitive cheer. This does not include travel costs such as gas, hotels, and food. It includes the coaches fees, tuition, competition fees, practice uniform, competitive uniform, etc. That does not include the multiple private lessons a week, team bonding trips, camps, clinics, etc. Honestly, I just don't add it up. LOL. The $4500 is from the bottom line of the tryout package for tuition and fees.

 

[DizMe]

3 girls on competitive gymnastics team = about $10,000 a year just for gym/national fees. I can't bring myself to add up the other costs! Oldest dd just stopped, though, so that's been a big break to the wallet. She is 15 and grew 5" in a year which didn't work so well for her on team.

Other than that, we have just done rec soccer, rec dance and Little League, which are relatively cheap and don't require a 3-hour-per-day time commitment year-round. I think we'll probably be done with gymnastics in a year or 2.

 

[mitchwebb]

Club Volleyball $3500 and two miserable trips to Reno, sorry not my favorite. High School $350 donation.

 

[mjkacmom]

High school club Crew (there is no school team): approx $7000 not including family travel, if applicable (we don't go on every trip)

Our HS has a crew team, $200. Ds17 rowed his freshman year, but it was too much with spring soccer. The girls varsity crew coach is a friend of ours, and said he'd put dd14 on the team (she dances and runs scored every day, so not possible), since she only weighs 85 pounds, and has great rhythm. I'd love it if she rowed, especially with such a low cost.