s/o How much does it cost to play a sport through your local school

[zimom]

How much does it cost to play a sport through your local school, private, public, charter, or homeschool group?

 

I'm floored by the price mentioned in another post.  Growing up many moons ago I can't remember there really being much fee if any in our public school and the huge majority of families could not have afforded $5 let alone $1000!!    

 

My daughter swims with a private team year-round and her fee is still only around $1500.  

[MysteryJen]

We paid $325 for a season of baseball at a private school. For public school, if you are enrolled there, it can range from $175 to $300. That does not include having to buy the t-shirts, sweat pants, uniform, etc.

[Upennmama]

My DD plays soccer at the local public. It's free. No cost for uniforms, or anything else. The local travel teams are about 200 a year.

[PinkTulip]

High school swim team here is $250 for the season, which runs from the beginning of October through mid-February. This is a great deal, as the club team that my kids swim with the rest of the year is $110/month.

 

ETA: This includes bus fees, team suit, a team t-shirt, hoodie, and two swim caps. It's a steal!

Edited September 20, 2016 by Pink Tulip

[justasque]

• Swim team, private school, $0, yes, zero, includes uniform and transport to and from meets.
• Local soccer league for younger kids, around $40, includes shirt which you give back at the end of the season.
• Dance team, private school, around $300-$350, for uniform including sneakers.
• Musical Theater performance, private school, $50 plus you may have to buy shoes and appropriate undergarments (e.g. clear-strap bra).
• Musical Theater performance, private school (different one), $0, yes, zero, plus may need to buy shoes and contribute to tech week dinners, plus cast goes out to eat after every show.
• Dance team, local studio, cost of lessons plus around $100-$175 per event (3-4 per year), costumes included but must buy shoes, tights, undergarments, as well as (sometimes) lodging and food at event.  (Recital fees and costumes are separate.)

 

[MEmama]

XC and track are free through our public school. Nordic skiing is just the cost of ski rental (if needed) IIRC. There might be a low fee to cover the coaches who are not otherwise affiliated with the school, I don't remember. Very little at any rate.

 

Hockey was $175-200 for the season.

[Peaceful Isle]

My boys play sports with a local church and it costs about 100 dollars for the season. They have baseball/tball and football in the spring, and soccer in the fall.

The fee includes their really nice uniforms as well! It is really well done. It is not our denomination, but it really does not matter when it comes to sports. The coaches have been awesome and my boys have made friends.

 

Maybe you could check the churches around you for something similar that you could join. 

[Dmmetler]

For Cheer, it is typically about $1000/season, and that doesn't include travel for competitions and may not include the uniform. However, a big part of that is that school cheer here for the top middle and high school teams IS travel cheer-they practice at the private travel gyms, and not only rent their floor space and equipment, but get tumbling and stunting coaching, and often choreography and music, by the same coaches that coach the travel All Star teams. Kids on such a contract also can take the Tumbling and skills classes if they choose.

[Tenaj]

My kids play junior high and high school sports through a small private, Christian school.  We now pay $100 per kid for basketball.  Baseball was cheaper . . .I think it was $45?  This includes uniforms except for shoes which we purchase new every year.  Also, if they travel to tournaments we do pay extra for food and motel stays which happens twice or three times a season, usually only at the varsity level.

 

My eldest was the first homeschooler to play for this particular school and they didn't charge us anything.  That was 8 years ago.  Over the years the basketball team has morphed from having one homeschooler to the ratio of homeschoolers to school enrollees becoming larger and larger.  The past few years, the homeschoolers outnumber the school kids by a lot (at least on the varsity and jr. varsity teams).  The price has increased with the increase in numbers of homeschoolers but it's still a bargain.

 

My eldest also played AAU basketball one season . . that cost us almost $1,000.

 

 Even our local baseball teams for the younger kids run more than $100 now so I'm happy at the Christian school even if the price goes up this year.

Edited September 20, 2016 by JanOH

[Guest]

For soccer at private school, high school level, the sports fee is $100. There are other costs, but they are not outrageous and many are optional (although we participate). There is a jacket to buy ($50), socks ($10), and some contribution to the (annoying, yet ubiquitous) gatorades and snacks. Optionally, there is a sports photo, a sweatshirt, parent shirt, contribution to banquet and there will probably be a contribution to the silent auction basket.

 

Club sports and special teams are way more expensive. I'm not into that.

[SKL]

My kids attend b&m if that matters.  It's a Lutheran school, and they are in 5th grade.

 

They make us volunteer for "boosters" or pay a $50 buy out.  I assume that is per sport, but I'm not sure.

 

We have to come up with our own knee pads.  So far that is the only thing I've had to buy for school sports.  For now.  :P

 

I'm told they have to pay a fee to be in a league - something with 4 figures - so that would explain the need to fundraise or pay.  They also provide a jersey (which we don't get to keep).

[Guest]

For public school, no fee ; family provides everything but uniform, including transportation to/from practice. Transport to away league games/meets is limited and the entire team will not be going unless the boosters pay. All nonleague games/meets are funded by the boosters.

[Kassia]

At our public high school, the cost is $425/sport per season, but I think there is a discount if you play three seasons.  

[J-rap]

Any sport is $105 per season at the local high school.  An extra curricular music or theater group is $65 per season.  However, the most a student needs to pay for the entire year for all activities combined is $300.  All uniforms and costumes except shoes (and swimsuits for swimmers) are included in that cost.

Edited September 20, 2016 by J-rap

[Cinder]

Ds2 particpated in XC and soccer at his private school. Each sport cost $400 which included the jersey, league and entry fees, and the rental of a "home" field. We purchased our own shoes and shin guards and provided our own transportation. That was last year; the prices have gone up this year and sports range from $350-$550. Ds graduated last year so the increase doesn't affect us directly.

[MooCow]

$450 for soccer, covers game and practice fields, uniforms, and coaches salaries. No transport provided.

 

Eta private school

Edited September 20, 2016 by MooCow

[Guest]

The problem here isn't the cost to be on the team (with the exception of cheer and drill from my understanding are crazy expensive) which is usually under $500. The issue here is that unless your child is on an outside offseason league, which usually cost thousands, they don't have a shot of making the public school team. So it's a hidden cost. For volley ball here, if you don't have your kid in a league by 4th/5th grade they have very very little chance of making the high school team. I haven't seen anyone do it. Same for basketball. Those kids play year around in one league or another. 

[Library Momma]

MIddle school sports are free.  No additional fees

 

High school sports are $75 per sport with a individual cap of  $150 per student per year and a family cap of $300 per year.  No additional fees

[Rachel]

My kids are homeschooled. Cross country for the season was $12 for the jersey and about $5 per race per kid.

 

Outside of that you could spend whatever you want. My kids summer swim team was $35 through park and rec. Other options went up to $1500 plus uniform and meet fees. Y or church league sports like soccer, baseball, and soccer are around $80 for a season. Private clubs are significantly more expensive. I have no idea what schools charge.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Through the public school nothing, but they don't allow homeschoolers to participate.

 

For anything else that varies.  Anything from free to thousands for the year.  Way too much much variation to comment specifically.

 

 

[GoodGrief]

I assume you mean team sports? At the public school here, it was about $175 per season; I think that might vary according to sport, but not sure about that. I do know that there was an annual cap, which my daughter always reached after two seasons, so there was no charge for her spring sport. The school provided uniforms, but we had to get shoes.

 

My youngest does cheer at a private club, and the annual total for that is much more, of course. Probably a couple/few thousand annually if you figure in uniforms and travel. I had another child who skated. Even doing that on the cheap end, meaning very limited competitions and more of a focus on passing tests, and forgoing the daily private lessons that many do, you are talking a few hundred a month. I knew a family that regularly spent several thousand a month for a couple of kids to skate, all expenses included.

[FaithManor]

No fees. But parents often spring for expensive cleats for baseball/softball or basketball shoes. They do charge entrance to the games but it is usually around $3.00 a ticket per family member.

[mom2scouts]

All school sports that are not club sports (trial sports, ski club) are free in my local district. The district supplies uniforms, buses, coaches, officials, fields or courts, and most equipment except stuff like cleats or goalie gloves.

[Melissa B]

I didn't even realize public schools could charge for sports programs. Here they are free other than special equipment like cleats, etc. Admission fees and paid parking at sporting events are still required. Club sports usually run around $70-$150 dollars per month plus equipment. Dance and gymnastics are more $$.

 

[Sara in AZ]

$286 to play a middle school sport at my daughter's charter school. It is a small school, and, at least in middle school, whoever wants to join the team can. $100 to join other extra curriculars such as orchestra or choir.

[zimom]

I'm glad to hear that the individual that mentioned $1000 for a season of cheer through their school seems to be the exception rather then the rule.  I just know how important sports were to so many kids in our community growing up and more then a few dollars would have put sports out of reach for most.  

[Bambam]

We can't. Technically the local public schools could allow us to play, but they chose not to do so. I've never come across any in our state that allow homeschoolers to play with them.

 

So, homeschoolers started their own sports leagues. Can't keep a good homeschool family down when one of their kids wants an opportunity, we will find a way to make it happen!

[Ali in OR]

Public high school: $150 per sport

Middle school cross-country or track: $60 for students at the school, $90 for kids from private schools or home schooled (they don't pay school fees that help cover costs).

[Tap]

I think I am the poster you are referring too.  Just to break it down......

 

It was a little less at private school because they re-used uniform shells.  For cheer, the tight shirt (liner), shorts, socks, bow, shoes, poms are all required and are personal gear and are bought by the cheerleader.  If the uniform is one of the newer tight uniforms, then the cheer shirt and skirt are personal use also. That means that the cheer leader is responsible for the purchase of it.  We pay about $300 for clothing and $100 for shoes.  When she was in private school, they wore a liner and shorts, but the more traditional shell and skirt were loaners from the school, so that reduced the cost about $200. Warm up jackets are another $100 and personalization is extra and required.  One of her cheer jackets came late and she wore it twice. (bangs head)

 

Both schools went to cheer camps that were a long weekend and were $350. Optional, but highly encouraged. (technically required, but they can't say that)

 

Then you add in all the game day shirts (4-6 per year), pink socks for breast cancer, misc team items, ASB fees, $75 sport fees etc.  And a repeat of sport fees if they want to cheer more than one season (football/basketball). 

 

The coaches try to keep it under $1000, but by the end of the year, we have usually spent more than that.  Even in private school where they provided the shell and skirt, we were still close to $1000 by the end of 2 seasons. 

 

Ohhhh, also cheerleaders drive themselves to games here.  Buses are for the 'athletes' only and not the girls, so that adds more cost too.  Especially when they go to District or state, when they are driving a hundred miles each way.  LOL  (we are in Washington)

 

It may be cheaper in other areas especially with booster support.  Our school has zero financial support for the cheer team. 

 

Football, wrestling, basketball, baseball, are a couple hundred dollars for the sport and then usual personal costs like shoes (camp is subsidized and about half the price of cheer camp).   They have booster support to offset some costs.  

 

When my son was a swimmer, it was $450 (3 month sport) for public school swim at our school and $75 at another public school....again just a difference in school support.  Uniforms, practice gear....and the sport was about $500 a season for us.    Club swimming was $450 per month, so it was still a lot cheaper to do public school swim!  (except he did both at the same time. LOL) 

 

 

It cost the  parents/siblings $5 per game to get in.  I notice that there are very few cheer parents in the stands.  I think we just get tired of paying out the nose.  I go after half time quite often, just to avoid paying the entrance fee.  Our girls don't benefit from the entrance fee, so I get tired of paying it. 

 

Club cheer is $3000 per year.  I am not sure if that includes everything or not.  I find that kids sports almost always have a significant hidden cost. 

 

 

 

[bettyandbob]

Local high school: fee for any sport is $100. There are clubs that are not official sports for the school like ice hockey, they can cost more. Individual teams often have fundraising to buy new uniforms or do special travel tournaments, but the official fee is $100 and students on reduced priced lunch don't pay.

 

Local rec sports tend to be about $150 for a season. Most in my neighborhood have boards that give generous scholarships.

 

Club sports are in another stratosphere. The cheapest club swim team is $1000 per 9 month period for the youngest swimmers. Older teens in the top practice group are more. Extra for summer. (Other clubs include summer. ) Plus require purchase of flippers (feet grow), and some other equipment. Plus there are meet fees and travel.

 

Years ago dd did club cheer. That was $3000, including fees uniforms travel.

[Lawana]

Ds in enrolled at and plays football at the local high school. Instead of a fee they have a fundraiser selling discount cards sponsored by local businesses. That covers uniform including game cleats and not sure what else. We buy personal items such as girdle and practice cleats. Transportation to away games is provided. Joining the booster club is strongly encouraged, but not required (lowest level $100). Parents provide an after game meal for the team for home games on a rotating basis.

[Pink and Green Mom]

At my son's high school it costs $200 to play football and $150 for the other sports.  This is a fee to play and does not include game uniforms.  Each sport also puts together a "practice pack" of shirts and shorts (with school name and logo) for about $100/sport but those are optional (although I have yet to see one child not wearing them).

 

It also costs us $5/person to watch the game.  This includes my younger son.  I can see charging adults but was sort of surprised they charge children.

 

 

[Tenaj]

 

 

It also costs us $5/person to watch the game.  This includes my younger son.  I can see charging adults but was sort of surprised they charge children.

 

I failed to include this in the cost of my kids playing and it is a significant expense.  We are able to buy season tickets for family members that include all home games and that ends up costing us about $250 but that doesn't include away games.  So often it costs our family $40 more or less to attend each away basketball game.  Some of the schools do have a "group rate" for larger families, either informally or formally.  Sometimes when I'm digging in my wallet for the cash to enter the parent manning the entrance table will tell me that $20 will cover it which is a bargain when it's six or seven of us.

 

I heard a rumor that this year the prices for attendance have increased due to a new league rule also.

[DawnM]

My kids just started PS, but my neighbors tell me football runs over $350/yr. Not sure what that includes or how accurate that is as I am not paying it.

 

Band costs quite a bit I hear, uniforms, instruments, etc....

[SamanthaCarter]

How much does it cost to play a sport through your local school, private, public, charter, or homeschool group?

 

 

Too much. 

[Vida Winter]

local soccer (non-school), $35

[SebastianCat]

My son is running cross country for the first time through our local public school.   There were no registration fees to play, but we had to purchase about $70-100 worth of team gear (running shorts, high visibility training shirt for early a.m. practices, team t-shirts to go over jersey for meets), plus a $20 mandatory insurance policy.   They also had fundraisers where they strongly encouraged either sales or a donation of at least $100 per family.   This doesn't include the cost of running shoes, spikes, etc, nor does it cover the cost of travel.   

 

Our local church recreation league charges a registration fee of $85-100 to play a 10-week season of soccer, baseball/softball, or flag football.   Some equipment is also required, such as shin guards for soccer, mouthpiece for football, and a glove for baseball/softball.   Cleats are encouraged, but not required.