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s/o shame - Hundreds every month for sports?


Katy
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Really?  I can see elite gymnastics or dance costing hundreds per month, but football?  Why?  And what other sports cost that much?

 

 

When I went back to school for nursing I had a college roommate on a basketball scholarship.  Playing basketball, first in the YMCA league and then for her high school was totally worth it.  She wasn't tall enough for a really great school, but a small private college  covered everything in full.  I'm certain she only got the scholarship because of the gender equity rules regarding athletic scholarships.

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Swimming. Back home, the top level swimming team was $1800 a year for one child, not including meet fees, and suits/equipment. If I recall, travel sports are more expensive than recreational leagues.

 

Here, it's $400 for six months, but our travel is a LOT more. Italian Club is 35€ a month.

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For wrestling we pay $180 per season fees plus about $100 for shoes, $40 for singlet, $30-50 for headgear, and fees for each tournament ($10-30 per tournament usually, not including the fact that we have to travel all over the state for tournaments and sometimes have to stay overnight).... during the high season we have weekly tournaments. At least two a month Nov - Mar, sometimes off season or more if we decide to do freestyle season.

 

For archery we pay for equipment (Which gets outgrown every couple of years with youth participants and is not cheap if you're a serious competitor -- as your draw extends you need longer arrows, higher weight bows, etc. plus upgrades on things like sights, counterbalances as you proceed - but not for youngest, he shoots barebow -- him, a recurve, arrows, wrist guard, quiver, arrows, team uniform)... monthly range and lesson fees, and tournament fees for each tournament.

 

These are comparatively cheap sports.

Edited by theelfqueen
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My nieces both play soccer. The oldest is in elite or travel or something. It's almost $1800 or something for the registration and the required uniform is $300. At some point little sister will play at that level too.

 

It's a priority for my brother and his husband. And it's basically the only extracurricular they do.

Edited by LucyStoner
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We're not anywhere near the elite level of gymnastics, only on the preteam, and it's already over $100 a month. The next level, if we do it, would be $240 a month and it's still a level below the competition team. It's because it's 9 hours a week. Recreational gymnastics, pretty much anywhere in our large city, is $70-80 a month. That is for one hour a week. So it goes up with the increased commitment. By the time she would hit the next level, it would only be $26 an hour...just a lot of hours. 

 

Same thing. She does aerial silks. One hour a week is $70 a month. She was asked to join the company and that's more like $160. It comes with increased hours. I think the standard is 3 hours a week. 

 

She does American Ninja Warrior Mini classes. They're a bit cheaper, about $60 a month for 90 minutes a week. But the kids that are more serious come twice a week....

 

All the competitions or shows for all of these things cost too. $$$ She doesn't do all of them at once, we trade off and swimteam gets added in there too...But it's a significant cost. 

The idea is that the more serious a child gets about a sport, the more expensive that sport gets. It doesn't cost much to play around but real coaching comes with a cost. You are paying coaches and facilities for their time and use. You are paying for proper uniforms and training equipment, travel, etc. 

And I'm making no value judgments about whether it's necessary or good or evil. Every family has it's own thoughts on that! We constantly evaluate her sports and the cash outlay. So far we find it to be worth it, if a bit nuts. If she chooses to continue in gymnastics, she will have to quit her other sports. There's no way we can pay for all that. And the gym costs go up with Every Level. :/

Edited by Sk8ermaiden
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I'm surprised you'd assume dancing or gymnastics would be more expensive than some of the others mentioned.

 

I think they are all expensive if you go to higher levels.

 

At lower levels it seems to be related to how much coaching costs, equipment, and facilities.

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Fencing is crazy expensive if you're at a top club and do a lot of national competitions. DS has a 3 hr class 5 nights/wk plus a weekly private lesson with an Olympic coach. The level of training at his previous club was much lower (very few kids competing nationally, lower level coaching, 90 minute classes 3x/wk), but even there the Comp Class was $150/mo (compared to $450/mo where he is now). Uniforms and weapons are really expensive and need to be replaced often. Fees for local and regional competitions run about $25-75, but National competitions are $150-250 just for registration, and then you have to add travel and hotels. It's definitely possible to just fence "for fun" for a lot less money, but anyone who wants to compete for National medals is going to be spending some serious money. It does tend to pay off in terms of college recruiting though; DS has national medals, both team and individual, and I know that some top college coaches are already following him.

 

DD does gymnastics just for fun, with no interest in competition. She goes 3 days/wk for a total of about 4.5 hours, and it costs about $100/month. Still, that's a lot less than we used to pay for violin lessons and youth orchestra fees.

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Given the whole scholarship thing it doesn't seem like a terrible investment.  Nobody here has an athletic bone in their body though.

 

I once knew a woman who had a son that got a scholarship for skiing.  I thought that was pretty cool.  Skiing is definitely not inexpensive though.

 

You can get money for other things too sometimes.

 

We don't have sports scholarships in Canada, but my university offers an organ scholar position, which is a kind of bursary in return for playing the organ in the chaple choir program. 

 

Girl Guides are also eligable to apply for bursaries here. 

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Average travel team baseball costs around here are in the range of $3,000 a year.  That's just for the kid to play and doesn't include costs incurred by the parents to get the kid to/from the games (which involves all the normal travel costs -- hotels, food, gas, etc.).

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At my sons' gym, one hour per week of rec gymnastics is $68 per month. My 10 year old does 12 hours per week for the team and it costs $268 per month. The gym is probably barely breaking even with the boys on the team because the hour rate we pay is so much lower. It's another $1000-1200 per year for competition fees and uniforms, plus our travel expenses.

 

Why do we do it? Because I have once of the bounciest most energetic kids around. In the month period last summer after quitting the old gym while trying to decide if it was worth the drive to join the new gym, I tried to find other ways for him to get as much exercise. Nothing else for his age group meets so many hours on a regular schedule. I would've been stuck trying to piece together a way to do some combo of soccer, swim team, martial arts and/or track, all with conflicting schedules or no schedule available until after sign up. Instead of one schedule that doesn't change much, I would've had schedule changes all the time, and this doesn't even include sports for DS2. Although it is more expensive, it is easier to have him on the team. He loves, loves, loves it and it teaches attention to detail (which he desperately needs) and perseverance.

 

Also, I have had health problems for the last ten years that have made it (on and off) impossible to exercise. This makes helping my kids have an excellent foundation of strength and flexibility even more important to me. Finally, while the coaches at the old gym weren't that great, the team coaches at the current gym are. His coach used to compete as a kid and the guy's dad was a college coach who taught him how to coach. There is a night and day difference between someone like him and volunteer coaches at soccer. The other coach, which he will have in another year or two, competed at the college level.

 

If my oldest were more average in energy level, I probably wouldn't have ever considered such an expensive sport. We are frugal with our money in just about every other area, so this is our big splurge. But I have to work with the kid I have, and this is good for him. (For the record, we aren't expecting college scholarships from it. There are few men's teams left and most of them are many states away.)

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If I can afford to pay it makes me happy to pay coaches, teachers, tutors, etc.. In general, no one is getting rich off of teaching kids, and if I find an activity and a teacher my child loves that is priceless.

 

I would love to have enough money to pay for a scholarship to my kids' dance studio for someone who can't afford it.

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There are VASTLY more available scholarship for academics than athletics.

 

Full scholarships?  Like what?  Where?  I know there are all sorts of organizations that offer various scholarships, but these all tend to be fairly small amounts. 

 

I got the impression this was the other way around, but I always hoped I was wrong.

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Playing basketball, first in the YMCA league and then for her high school was totally worth it. She wasn't tall enough for a really great school, but a small private college covered everything in full.

The YMCA has financial aid covering 40~50% of the fees depending on their funds. The high school covers all the costs if the child is on free lunch program and most costs if on reduced lunch program. So the cost could end up being lower than stated price.

 

My kids do recreational sports and coaching fees are not cheap either even at recreational level. They have done gym, swimming, golf and we are looking at tennis and bowling. Any of the sports can cost over a hundred per month in just instructor fees. Considering that my kids are "behind" in gross motor skills, these recreational sports have been worth the cost. For example my kids have a tough time learning to skateboard and they want to, we are willing to pay for the beginners teens class.

 

My neighbor's daughter likes horse riding as a hobby but she stopped due to costs.

 

We are spending hundreds every month for music lessons per child with no returns in investment. We only want music to be a choice for stress relief. Same aim for their recreational sports.

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I know someone with a kid on an elite traveling hockey team. They pay close to $30,000 a year when all is said and done.

My partner at work has a daughter who does competitive cheer. They probably paid $15,000 last year including travel.

What?  I know hockey is a whole thing (I went to college in New England), but how on earth does that pay off?  Who decides to spend college tuition money on a hockey team?  I guess where I grew up most team sports were tied to public schools, and were not that expensive.

 

 

Full scholarships?  Like what?  Where?  I know there are all sorts of organizations that offer various scholarships, but these all tend to be fairly small amounts. 

 

I got the impression this was the other way around, but I always hoped I was wrong.

 

I know many people who got presidential scholarships to state universities.  If you can manage a 4.0 or higher in high school and decent test scores you can probably get free tuition and a work study program to cover room & board. I went to a private university, only had a 3.8 in high school, and still managed a full tuition scholarship.  I only had to pay for room & board, which was less than tuition at in state public schools.  My sister in law had a similar situation at an in-state private school.

 

If I had it to do all over again I would have opted for the in-state school instead.  I didn't even try to financial aid there.  I could have lived at home for free.

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I know horses are expensive.  They are also extremely time consuming.  I was raised with them. 

 

It would never occur to me to pay for a skateboarding class.  It would be more of a "Here's a skateboard.  Wear a helmet. Go with a friend so one of you can call me when you break your arm."

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I think any serious "hobby" (can't think of a better word) is going to cost serious money. You can fish for really cheap, but if you get serious it can cost tons of money. Same for art, music, animals, and sports.

 

Around here you can play team sports at the rec level for very little money. If you want to play at a higher level you have to pay more. Sometimes kids get too good to play rec.

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I looked into travel softball a while back.  Yes, I considered paying a gabillion dollars for team fees and travel expenses, on top of better equipment than we usually buy.  I don't know what I would have decided if my dds were REALLY good players.  As it stands, they're alright, but would get eaten up by the level of competition.  Problem solved, lol.

 

We don't spend hundreds/mo., but we invest hundreds/year (across multiple kids) and TIME.  Honestly, I sometimes wish I could pay someone so I could keep some of that time.  :p   I don't imagine there will ever be any chances at scholarships.  This if for the exercise, the team building, the personal growth, and the fun.

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I know horses are expensive. They are also extremely time consuming. I was raised with them.

 

It would never occur to me to pay for a skateboarding class. It would be more of a "Here's a skateboard. Wear a helmet. Go with a friend so one of you can call me when you break your arm."

Right. But most kids can only go so far on their own. If they loved skateboarding, after they had stalled out teaching themselves, they would have to find a coach or whatever to keep improving.

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I know many people who got presidential scholarships to state universities.  If you can manage a 4.0 or higher in high school and decent test scores you can probably get free tuition and a work study program to cover room & board. I went to a private university, only had a 3.8 in high school, and still managed a full tuition scholarship.  I only had to pay for room & board, which was less than tuition at in state public schools.  My sister in law had a similar situation at an in-state private school.

 

If I had it to do all over again I would have opted for the in-state school instead.  I didn't even try to financial aid there.  I could have lived at home for free.

 

Ok, but in order to get a full ride you are essentially saying you have to be very exceptional.  Does the same go for sports?  I mean granted, I presume they don't want someone who is terrible at the sport, but do they need to be the best?

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Dance costs us more and more because it's at a higher level. The other sports my kids have done have been cheap because it's rec league or just a once a week homeschool class or group lesson. However, if they went farther with it, it would also cost more.

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I can't even begin to express how exceptional an athlete someone has to be to get a full ride scholarship for most sports.AND the NCAA strictly limits the availability of sports scholarships. People who are state champions, star players, and very competitive get nothing, all the time. AND you don't have any control over it.

 

Your grades you have input on at least -- how a sports scout looks at you is so much more open to interpretation.

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Yes. You have to be very exceptional to get a full athletic ride. 

 

And you never know when a kid will hit a wall, get injured, or lose interest. There is a mom at our gym (our kids are SIX!) who commutes from the next CITY. She said, "When she gets a college scholarship, it will all be worth it." And I mentioned, sheepishly, that gymnastics will likely cost her several times what college would. And she said they were considering it a prepayment plan. And that if she quit it "will all have been for nothing." I didn't have words y'all. Gymnastics has a TREMENDOUS attrition rate.

 

We let DD do it be because of the returns we see in good habits, development of character, teamwork, and dedication. Those girls work SO HARD. I know you can get those life lessons elsewhere, but this is where we've seen them develop in our DD. And we can afford it (for now at least), so we let her continue.

 

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Hmm...  I guess I'm grateful my kids aren't that athletic then.  Rec leagues have always been fine.  It wouldn't occur to me to put them in something more expensive even if they were exceptional.  For that matter we've never been exposed to something more expensive.

 

But then I'm not the sort that would move to Nashville so my DD could get a development & songwriting deal as a teen either, so...  Maybe now I know that it exists I'll see these pricey leagues everywhere.

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I know many people who got presidential scholarships to state universities.  If you can manage a 4.0 or higher in high school and decent test scores you can probably get free tuition and a work study program to cover room & board. I went to a private university, only had a 3.8 in high school, and still managed a full tuition scholarship.  I only had to pay for room & board, which was less than tuition at in state public schools.  My sister in law had a similar situation at an in-state private school.

 

If I had it to do all over again I would have opted for the in-state school instead.  I didn't even try to financial aid there.  I could have lived at home for free.

 

Room and board at all the schools we've looked at (public, private, in-state, out-of-state, small to large) are running $8-$11 K per year. Work study at those same schools is estimated at about $1500-2K and is often restricted to or guaranteed for only those who qualify for federal aid.

 

I remain glad that my daughter does aikido. It runs us about $60 a month ($120 split between her and my husband) with up to 6 90-min classes available every week. Her first gi was included, and I think we've bought 3 more since (she started at 6 and is now almost 16) to the tune of about $30 each and a $5 dojo patch. Two seminars a year at our dojo (so no travel fees) and kids don't pay seminar fees until they can do the full schedule--even then a full day and a half seminar with lunch is $85. We've bought a jo and bokken for her that I don't think were over $100 together (may be wrong), but she could use the ones at the school. No testing fees or belt fees until she hits black belt (which she might by the time she graduates---it's a much longer term process than some other martial arts). I think it helps that aikido, at least in our federation, is not seen as a sport, and our dojo is not our sensei's livelihood. We are very fortunate. Our biggest expense is the gas to drive 40 min each way to the dojo, but we find it well worth it.

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Sports are ridiculously expensive :( And, I have read a few times before... all that money could go into a nice college savings account. I know athletes get scholarships, but unfortunately there's no guarantee of someone being able, or wanting to play. Sometimes someone gets injured and can't play anymore. Sometimes the athlete doesn't want to do it anymore (we know 2 girls in this situation, got full ride scholarships for swim...they didn't take them. The parents were SO upset). So...sports are very important, but I am not sure we'd put all that money towards it. Good thing we can't afford it, so we don't have to worry about it :)

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Yes, sports are expensive. So is dance, music, and theater. We spend thousands a year and we don't travel as much as hockey or baseball. Top athletes and top students are similar in the hunt for scholarship dollars. You have to among the best for the real money or top programs. Boys have significantly fewer college $ opportunities, but girls have quite a lot. We know quite a few who are not super competitive swimmers and have good grades (but not top scores) who received money that really made a difference in the college bill.

 

I could have saved all that money, but when a kid has a gift...you do your best to provide. And for dd2, dyslexia and other LDs are going to make scores lower and grades not so high. But her sport will help her get in and be successful when she is there. I am grateful her value is not tied to a test score. And that is worth an investment now.

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Hmm...  I guess I'm grateful my kids aren't that athletic then.  Rec leagues have always been fine.  It wouldn't occur to me to put them in something more expensive even if they were exceptional.  For that matter we've never been exposed to something more expensive.

 

But then I'm not the sort that would move to Nashville so my DD could get a development & songwriting deal as a teen either, so...  Maybe now I know that it exists I'll see these pricey leagues everywhere.

 

It can sneak up on you.

 

Everything I put my DD in was run of the mill recreational stuff. But she is very athletic and does work very hard. And then you get the coach coming up to you telling you she's maxed out what she can do on the recreational path and they want her on the team/company. So your options are to let them stagnate in a level they've already mastered, learning nothing new and being totally bored, make them quit something they've devoted time and energy to and they love, or let them move up. If there's not a good reason you can't move them up...it can be very hard to say no. 

 

Just like if she were very talented and hardworking at music, or math team, or pretty much anything....I'd have a hard time not supporting it. You like to let them see that that hard work and dedication pay off. 

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Full scholarships?  Like what?  Where?  I know there are all sorts of organizations that offer various scholarships, but these all tend to be fairly small amounts. 

 

I got the impression this was the other way around, but I always hoped I was wrong.

 

The WSJ claims that for the 2007-2008 school year that schools offered $9.5Billion in academic scholarships vs $1Billion for athletics. 

 

Since it pay walled otherwise, just google "total athletic scholarship money vs academic" and look at the WSJ and CNBC links.

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There is a mom at our gym (our kids are SIX!) who commutes from the next CITY. She said, "When she gets a college scholarship, it will all be worth it." And I mentioned, sheepishly, that gymnastics will likely cost her several times what college would. And she said they were considering it a prepayment plan. And that if she quit it "will all have been for nothing." I didn't have words y'all. Gymnastics has a TREMENDOUS attrition rate.

That mom is an idiot. She needs to read the book "Positive Pushing." Chances are she is one of those parents who will ruin the sport for her kid.

 

If Tigger quit next week, I'd be disappointed, but I would never think it had all been for nothing. Developing more perseverance and willingness to work hard has made it worth it, aside from the skills and strength developed. These benefits wouldn't disappear if he quits, they'd get moved over into whatever would replace it.

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For our athletic kid, club soccer runs about $100 per month, track and cross country are pretty cheap at $75 and I think $35 respectively for the whole season. All well worth it--running fast is just part of who she is and we enjoy going to all of her events. And all of this is cheaper than...

 

ballet for other dd. No amazing talent there, but it is the activity that she enjoys. Her ballet experience opened the door for her to be able to do the school musicals (she's not a singer, but loves dancing in the shows). She is not an athlete; ballet keeps her fit, active, and busy!

 

I would never spend huge sums of money hoping for the college scholarship--better to save for college for most folks. There are so, so many fast runners, skilled soccer players, graceful dancers. Not very many can be truly elite.

Edited by Ali in OR
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It can sneak up on you.

 

Everything I put my DD in was run of the mill recreational stuff. But she is very athletic and does work very hard. And then you get the coach coming up to you telling you she's maxed out what she can do on the recreational path and they want her on the team/company. So your options are to let them stagnate in a level they've already mastered, learning nothing new and being totally bored, make them quit something they've devoted time and energy to and they love, or let them move up. If there's not a good reason you can't move them up...it can be very hard to say no. 

 

Just like if she were very talented and hardworking at music, or math team, or pretty much anything....I'd have a hard time not supporting it. You like to let them see that that hard work and dedication pay off.

 

Excellent point. My oldest had pretty much reached the end of recreational gymnastics by his 7th birthday, after a little more than a year of once a week classes. The coach said he could practice with the team (5 hours per week at that level) but didn't have to compete. That's how we got sucked in. :-) Three seasons later we have no regrets. In any case, after a certain point, one hour per week isn't enough to get better at any sort of rate that kids can notice. Also, it definitely isn't enough to develop the strength they need for the next set of skills. So sure, they could continue like that for another year or two, but joining the team would probably show the same amount of improvement in a few months.

 

I think that after a certain point, sports (and probably music) get frustrating to kids because they don't see themselves improving the way they would with more practice. I sure it leads to many quitting something like like because they think the problem is them, rather than realizing that one hour per week only lets you feel like you are at the very beginning.

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It can sneak up on you.

 

Everything I put my DD in was run of the mill recreational stuff. But she is very athletic and does work very hard. And then you get the coach coming up to you telling you she's maxed out what she can do on the recreational path and they want her on the team/company. So your options are to let them stagnate in a level they've already mastered, learning nothing new and being totally bored, make them quit something they've devoted time and energy to and they love, or let them move up. If there's not a good reason you can't move them up...it can be very hard to say no. 

 

Just like if she were very talented and hardworking at music, or math team, or pretty much anything....I'd have a hard time not supporting it. You like to let them see that that hard work and dedication pay off. 

 

I wonder sometimes though if that is self-serving to some extent, on the part of the coaches.  In some cases it may mean the activity has no more to offer a kid, but often I wonder.

 

What does it mean to stagnating an activity when the main point is to be active and have fun?  Does it mean they will not learn another new thing?  Or does it mean they won't progress as fast or far as they might have otherwise?  There seems to be a bit of an assumption that the point of the activity is really to achieve higher and higher levels.

 

In the end, most of will probably not develop our full potential at all kinds of things, even things we enjoy and do for fun.  I've sometimes thought if I had the time and money to dedicated it, I could really produce some exceptional hooked rugs and probably sell them for a fair bit of money if I wanted to.  I don't have the time or the money to invest, so I'll probably never know if I could produce to the level that would be so in demand.

 

But - it's still a lot of fun.

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Well, in gymnastics, you really do reach a point where there is no more you can do on one hour a week. Some kids will take years and years to hit that ceiling, but others hit it at 7 or 8 years old. Figure skating was similar when I did it. Any sport where you learn increasingly difficult skills that build upon the skills before are pretty much going to be this way. At some point, you can no longer safely learn skills without an increase in practice hours. But I was a swimmer too, and that was more like what you're saying. You can just keep getting faster, keep progressing, albeit slower. Though really even with that? If you're in a rec league and talented? It's possible to outgrow your coaches and stagnate. 

 

And you're right that we can't each pursue everything to the furthest extent of our abilities. But we usually do pursue things that really ignite a spark in us, at least I always have. This is, of course, limited by the practical realities of the universe we live in. But if DD is in an activity and I see if pulling out all the best qualities she has and bringing them to the surface, and I can afford the time and money for that activity? I will facilitate it. I will tell you that the recreational levels of these activities didn't do that - because they weren't challenging. And we're a sports family. DH and I, FIL and MIL, my mom and dad...all were involved in competitive sports, usually multiple at a time. So it's not hard for us to see the value in them. 

 

I guess if she lost her interest in sports and just wanted to do a homeschool PE class to be active and have fun, I would totally just shell out the normal price for that. Of course there's value there. But that's not the kid I have.

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There are VASTLY more available scholarship for academics than athletics.

 

And, the renew-ability of an academic one is within your control.   Whereas with an athletic scholarship, the other team can target your child for injury and then be SOL for money when can't play anymore. 

 

According to my husband, if you are good enough to make a club team monetarily worthwhile you need to be the star player.   If so, the team will be willing to cover any of your part you can't pay.  

 

That isn't to say that people shouldn't be on a club team, there can be other reasons. 

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Both boys in karate is $150 a month, 12 months a year. $1800 a year.

 

And that's a cheap price with a homeschool discount.

 

We don't expect any scholarships for it. It's just a way to get my team-sport-hating kids doing something active. To me, it's one of the prices of homeschooling. My kids are introverted and would honestly never, ever willingly leave the house if we hadn't signed them up for karate. If they went to public school, I wouldn't worry about a sport. But they need to get out of the house from time to time and be around other people, so...karate.

Edited by Garga
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I have one kid at the gym 12 hours a week, and another that dances 15 hours a week. Competitions and performances on top of that. Yes, it's ridiculously expensive. And worth every penny. What they have learned about work ethic, goal setting, dedication, time management, being part of a team/group, winning graciously, losing graciously, facing their fears, taking care of their bodies....I don't regret a single dollar spent, even if nothing else in terms of scholarships or careers ever comes of it.

Edited by lovelearnandlive
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Several of my boys play competitive soccer, and one plays travel baseball. So far they've all played well enough to earn scholarships to their choice club teams, some in full and some partials (which they off-set with work earnings). I have one that now plays for the US developmental academy program - which is the top tier, and free.

 

My general rule is that I will pay for their first year, and after that it's up to them to fund the main fees - either by working, by earning a scholarship, or by some mixture of both. So far this hasn't been an issue for any of them, and because they share the financial investment in their hobby they are more vested in their own development.  If nothing else, competitive sports have helped me create a work ethic and appreciation for how much things cost (in terms of money AND effort) for my boys that they'll carry through life.

 

Club soccer fees vary by a club's size and level of play, but typical for our area is $3000-5000 per year.  That includes local tournaments, basic uniform, two seasons of outdoor field play, one season of indoor play, and lighted practice fields all year. Not included are out-of-state tourneys (one son's team does at least one per year), extra uniform pieces (extra socks, sweatshirts, etc.), "fellowship" events where the team gathers for fun - dinners out, amusement parks, pro games, etc., private skills sessions, or off-season camps.

 

Baseball tends to run $2500 in fees, but it's a lot more local-ish travel (1-3 hour drives) which isn't included in that cost.

 

My boys work non-traditional jobs to fund their sports (ref, odd neighborhood jobs, two coach rec teams, all teach private skills and run small summer camps for kids in rec looking to move to select). We live in an affluent town and most parents write a check for the full year's fees, they're not interested in fundraising. They'll write a check to get out of having to fundraise. My kids know I grew up poor, in a very poor area and that I don't roll that way. They have to hustle to play.

 

Rec level sports weren't competitive enough for them. It'd be like sticking with a textbook that wasn't challenging enough. I value what competitive sports has brought to them: discipline, group work (like school), learning when to lead and when to follow (being "coachable"), the concept of hard work and 'earning' (one's playing time), the concept of politics and diplomacy, how to be a good sport, how to handle disappointment or frustration, how their choices/behavior can affect a larger group, how to handle envy (other kids handed everything that I make them work for),  ... so much more, too. They might learn these things other places, too, but sports has been a one-stop shop to learn so many important life skills.

 

My youngest is every bit as athletic as her brothers, but rec leagues meet her needs just fine - which is good because she's way less motivated in general than are her brothers. She'd quit a hobby before having to fund it herself. LOL Not sure where I went wrong with this one ...!

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Really?  I can see elite gymnastics or dance costing hundreds per month, but football?  Why?  And what other sports cost that much?

 

 

 

Figure skating is extremely expensive. Ice time, coaches, music, competition fees, clothing, skate boots, blades - it goes on and on. The more you skate, the faster your equipment wears out, too. 

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