Pay to play youth sports

[General Tso]

Came across this article, which I know is nothing new. IMO, youth sports has been on a sad journey the last generation or two, esp when even the more mainstream sports are turning into pay to play. Sure, the elite athletes will usually get noticed but so many other kids get out privaleged by the time they get to high school by the Jims and Joes with half the athletic ability but infinitely more camps, training, travel team time, etc.

Nearly 60% of families say youth sports are a 'financial strain'—3 ways to budget for them

With inflation driving costs up, nearly 60% of families say youth sports are a financial strain, and 11% plan on taking on a debt from the expenses.

www.google.com

 

[hydro2.0]

I am very much against the pay for play sports experience. My kids are not going to be professional athletes so I don’t mind playing recreational sports through the YMCA vs some select basketball/baseball/etc.

Watching my friends 3/4 of the year travel for sports seems off putting for a lot of different reasons. The whole idea is a no for me dog.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

And then they get to school ball and want to tell the coaches what to do because their club coach does x, y and z. Makes me laugh, or yell... mostly yell.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Youth sports have been escalating for decades with no end in sight.

When I was, say, 8-9 years old, the only organized sport for boys was little league softball (yeah, didn't even have baseball). May parents didn't even attend the games, which seemed perfectly normal at the time. Parents going out to watch their children "play"? Why?

Today, parents pay for their kids to play, then spend lots of money traveling around to watch them. Is it a fun family activity? Or, a desperate attempt by parents to groom their son or daughter into a star? IDK

However, it's pretty sad when a kids game creates a financial hardship on families.

A cautionary tale - when my son was 9, we signed him up to play baseball with a friend in a CABA league. What we didn't know, it was 2 hour practices twice a week and double-headers on the weekends. And, it was serious. No goofing around at all. You make mistakes you hit the bench. Again, he was 9.

After that season, my son never played baseball again (until beer league softball many years later). He was sick of it at age 9. He has said many times that quitting baseball was one of his life's regrets.

The moral of the story is that most kids just want to play sports for fun.

 

[bhawk24bob]

Nearly every activity is going to cost something to involve your kid in to varying degrees, paying for team sports is a waste though because there's no lessons learned that can't be learned elsewhere and it's not like they're going to play team sports into adulthood

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

I’m a parent who spends money for my son to play select basketball. It’s 100% his decision to play. This isn’t for us. He’s been playing select for 2 years and receiving individual sessions at a 2nd gym. All in all, we spend about $2k per year. He just wants to be a great high school player with an opportunity to play college ball, at whatever level. We love basketball and watching him play. If it wasn’t worth the $2k, we wouldn’t spend the money.

 

[BondHawk]

Nearly every activity is going to cost something to involve your kid in to varying degrees, paying for team sports is a waste though because there's no lessons learned that can't be learned elsewhere and it's not like they're going to play team sports into adulthood

What if, you know, the kid has fun playing a sport they love with kids of similar ability? Still a waste?

 

[General Tso]

What if, you know, the kid has fun playing a sport they love with kids of similar ability? Still a waste?

I know this was in response to a different post, but for me it's less about filling a kid's schedule up with camps, clinics, travel, etc...or whether parents are doing it for themselves or the kid... it's more about the unequal access for some kids over others. There's a kid in our neighborhood who shoots hoops with the neighborhood kids, see him at the park shooting all the time, etc. He has more natural ability than any of the other kids he plays with in the neighborhood. However, his parents are first generation immigrants scratching to get by, so he won't sniff any of the travel leagues, camps, etc that the parents of some of these other kids are forking $$ over for. In my mind it's a simple misallocation of resources - a number of kids who quite frankly have no business benefiting from the pay to play resources vs a number of kids who should be benefiting from these resources being squeezed out.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I know this was in response to a different post, but for me it's less about filling a kid's schedule up with camps, clinics, travel, etc...or whether parents are doing it for themselves or the kid... it's more about the unequal access for some kids over others. There's a kid in our neighborhood who shoots hoops with the neighborhood kids, see him at the park shooting all the time, etc. He has more natural ability than any of the other kids he plays with in the neighborhood. However, his parents are first generation immigrants scratching to get by, so he won't sniff any of the travel leagues, camps, etc that the parents of some of these other kids are forking $$ over for.

It’s a problem, but not just the fees and costs.
We paid the annual club fees for a couple lower-income kids on my son’s travel team. Wasn’t cheap - about $1,100 each. Still, they had trouble just getting to practice and eventually dropped off after the season. That in itself was the biggest issue.

 

[bhawk24bob]

What if, you know, the kid has fun playing a sport they love with kids of similar ability? Still a waste?

That's great and the cost/benefit works out for the in-town or public leagues imo

 

[seminoleed]

I've yet to come across a youth sports league that didn't have a set up for allow "scholarships" for kids who couldn't afford it but obviously had enormous potential and skills.

 

[B1GDeal]

I know this was in response to a different post, but for me it's less about filling a kid's schedule up with camps, clinics, travel, etc...or whether parents are doing it for themselves or the kid... it's more about the unequal access for some kids over others. There's a kid in our neighborhood who shoots hoops with the neighborhood kids, see him at the park shooting all the time, etc. He has more natural ability than any of the other kids he plays with in the neighborhood. However, his parents are first generation immigrants scratching to get by, so he won't sniff any of the travel leagues, camps, etc that the parents of some of these other kids are forking $$ over for. In my mind it's a simple misallocation of resources - a number of kids who quite frankly have no business benefiting from the pay to play resources vs a number of kids who should be benefiting from these resources being squeezed out.

This is an overplayed worry. If the kid is that talented and keeps working on skills regardless of if on a travel team, school team or the playground... he will eventually be discovered. I find in most instances dads from the community tend to have this kid join their local travel team and cover that cost to help them win games. The kid if that good will then be added to a larger travel team who will eat the costs to have the kid help them win games. The single most important thing anyone can do for their kid is to get them playing and if they have the interest to really work on developing their skills. The higher-level teams will make room later for the talented kid who doesn't have money.

 

[BelemNole]

Youth sports is big business now. Coaches get paid, all the people giving lessons get paid, the facilities get paid, the equipment manufactures get paid. That's the reason all these 'select' and other travel teams really exist. If everyone played rec then all those kids would be there competing against one another and rec would go back to being good ball.

But my kid is special. One day they're going to get a scholarship to a good school (and from there to the pros!!). Sure, they're 9 now, but if they just buckle down and WORK they will be a star!!!! This is all for them, not for me and my instagram.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

But my kid is special. One day they're going to get a scholarship to a good school (and from there to the pros!!). Sure, they're 9 now, but if they just buckle down and WORK they will be a star!!!! This is all for them, not for me and my instagram.

Too many parents have unrealistic expectations about sports scholarships. I only know the details about soccer - my son was a great player but realistic and luckily decided early on he knew he would not get a D1 spot. He had no interest in joining his teammates who were going on to play DII or DIII. (And there are no scholarships to be had at that level, so you’re basically paying full freight for a sub-par experience/education).

We have known kids over the years in other sports who go to play at small schools in Podunk, USA and it never lasts.

 

[QChawks]

way too many poors in here

If you’re athletic, they’ll find a spot for you on somebody’s team

My Kids were not blessed with that so we have to make up for it by putting them in as many sports camp as we can

 

[BelemNole]

Too many parents have unrealistic expectations about sports scholarships. I only know the details about soccer - my son was a great player but realistic and luckily decided early on he knew he would not get a D1 spot. He had no interest in joining his teammates who were going on to play DII or DIII. (And there are no scholarships to be had at that level, so you’re basically paying full freight for a sub-par experience/education).

We have known kids over the years in other sports who go to play at small schools in Podunk, USA and it never lasts.

My nephew was a great HS swimmer. But he is short and doesn't have the freakishly long arms you need to be a star. So his only offers were from D2/3 schools. He decided to go to aTm and get an engineering degree. He swam club for a year and decided he'd rather get his sleep.
He had a job offer from a big engineering firm his Jr year and now works for them.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

Too many parents have unrealistic expectations about sports scholarships. I only know the details about soccer - my son was a great player but realistic and luckily decided early on he knew he would not get a D1 spot. He had no interest in joining his teammates who were going on to play DII or DIII. (And there are no scholarships to be had at that level, so you’re basically paying full freight for a sub-par experience/education).

We have known kids over the years in other sports who go to play at small schools in Podunk, USA and it never lasts.

Wrong

 

[Pinehawk]

It’s all ‘pay to play’. It just depends on how much you are willing and/or able to spend.
Rec league teams aren’t free. It’s always going to cost something for practice space, admin duties or coaching.

 

[dgordo]

There are still plenty of opportunity for kids who don’t want to play travel sports. My kids don’t play any travel sports but still play soccer, baseball, flag football and my daughter figure skates. I’ve never paid more than $200 for a season of anything.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Wrong

In what way? I probably shouldn’t have said sub-par, but the educational opportunities opportunities at a small directional state school or 1,800 student private religious college aren’t close to a larger institution.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

In what way?

There are plenty of scholarships available at lower levels albeit not tied to athletics. The vast majority of students receive financial aid to attend. The tuition price you see is the sticker price, almost no one pays that. Went to a D3 school and it cost me less than had I gone to Iowa three out of the 4 years I attended. As far as the subpar education/experience comment I won't even go there..

 

[Pinehawk]

In what way? I probably shouldn’t have said sub-par, but the educational opportunities opportunities at a small directional state school or 1,800 student private religious college aren’t close to a larger institution.

Wrong that there are not D2 and D3 scholarships available.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

There are plenty of scholarships available at lower levels albeit not tied to athletics. The vast majority of students receive financial aid to attend. The tuition price you see is the sticker price, almost no one pays that. Went to a D3 school and it cost me less than had I gone to Iowa three out of the 4 years I attended. As far as the subpar education/experience comment I won't even go there..

But we’re talking athletic scholarships.

 

[hydro2.0]

There are still plenty of opportunity for kids who don’t want to play travel sports. My kids don’t play any travel sports but still play soccer, baseball, flag football and my daughter figure skates. I’ve never paid more than $200 for a season of anything.

Yeah but you’re genetically predisposed to know how to save money.

 

[bhawk24bob]

But my kid is special. One day they're going to get a scholarship to a good school (and from there to the pros!!). Sure, they're 9 now, but if they just buckle down and WORK they will be a star!!!! This is all for them, not for me and my instagram.

No parent wants to hear that genetics drive their kid's success in athletic competitions

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Wrong that there are not D2 and D3 scholarships available.

Some. Look, I’m not the expert. I talked to many people (and a couple coaches) who have said they have a handful of scholarships to divvy up among players. Maybe you get a 1/4 scholarship and books, and it’s a year by year thing. I’m sure there are schools out there that do it differently.

I (we) didn’t think it made sense to go to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere to play a sport, and pay much more than you would at a larger institution.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

Some. Look, I’m not the expert. I talked to many people (and a couple coaches) who have said they have a handful of scholarships to divvy up among players. Maybe you get a 1/4 scholarship and books, and it’s a year by year thing. I’m sure there are schools out there that do it differently.

I (we) didn’t think it made sense to go to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere to play a sport, and pay much more than you would at a larger institution.

There you go being wrong again.

 

[Rudolph]

It’s out of control. Kids are being robbed of the ability to self-govern, to imagine and create. Once upon a time kids would go to the park or playground and make their own teams, their own games with their own rules, and enforce those rules themselves, as well as resolve conflicts themselves. This was a big part of the culture of the sport, too, this grassroots experience that was as much social development as athletic. My love of basketball roots not to the relative sterility of a synthetically-lit gym with a coach and whistle and adult-driven structure. And I was highly-motivated and deeply taken by the sport. It is rooted in the grassroots experience.

These organized sports for kids that are 8 damn years old make me sad, TBH.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

There you go being wrong again.

What am I wrong about now?

I’m speaking from personal experience and therefore not factoring in any need-based aid. Certainly there are many kids who would qualify for that and reduce their cost of attendance.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

Some. Look, I’m not the expert. I talked to many people (and a couple coaches) who have said they have a handful of scholarships to divvy up among players. Maybe you get a 1/4 scholarship and books, and it’s a year by year thing. I’m sure there are schools out there that do it differently.

I (we) didn’t think it made sense to go to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere to play a sport, and pay much more than you would at a larger institution.

there are no D3 scholarships. Small colleges can thank youth sports for funding them. Every small school now has esports, trap shooting, dance so everyone can say, "I play esports" in college. It's just a way to get more kids to small schools to justify their existence.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

What am I wrong about now?

I’m speaking from personal experience and therefore not factoring in any need-based aid. Certainly there are many kids who would qualify for that and reduce their cost of attendance.

The bolded part but looks like you just explained it to yourself.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

there are no D3 scholarships. Small colleges can thank youth sports for funding them. Every small school now has esports, trap shooting, dance so everyone can say, "I play esports" in college. It's just a way to get more kids to small schools to justify their existence.

You’re right about DIII. I just looked up soccer scholarships and saw no DIII scholarships and 9.9 max for DI and 9 for DII for a team of 30-31 players.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

In a nod to a youth program doing things right:
The Waterloo Junior Golf Association is great. Your kids get paired up in tournaments throughout the summer (i believe 12 total) for $50. They can play the waterloo municipals before noon on weekdays for free. Parents can't be at the tournaments (best thing).
They treat the kids well and the kids that play in it, do well at state and getting college scholarships (not that that is the goal).

 

[onlyTheObvious]

DII has scholarships.

DIII does not, sports is a revenue stream. Tuition from kids that wouldn’t go to that school otherwise. Central College football roster has 146 players. They turn nobody down. Their basketball roster is over 30.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

you would be surprised at the number of kids that have told me they play on travel teams because it started out fun but after their parents put so much time and money in, they feel obligated to continue.
They feel like they have to keep going to get a scholarship that most are never getting.
Can't tell you how many families I know that spent 10's of thousands running their kids around for no scholarships.

 

[Tom Paris]

Wrong that there are not D2 and D3 scholarships available.

Yep. Both my kids played college sports at NAIA schools. One graduated with a Masters and about 10 k in debt. The other will double major and have zero debt…all because of scholarships. Both got recruited due to travel ball.

 

[littlez]

You’re right about DIII. I just looked up soccer scholarships and saw no DIII scholarships and 9.9 max for DI and 9 for DII for a team of 30-31 players.

That’s true but they find a way to get the tuition down to what you’d pay at a state school. Look at the D3 schools in Iowa. 60% of the colleges are athletes. Otherwise those schools would go broke. My son could have gone and played D3 tennis but the small school wasn’t for him. As you said the 25 kids on a D1 college soccer roster are split among 9.9 scholarships. That’s why half their rosters turn over every year.

 

[Tom Paris]

What am I wrong about now?

I’m speaking from personal experience and therefore not factoring in any need-based aid. Certainly there are many kids who would qualify for that and reduce their cost of attendance.

My younger kid is at a small school in Milwaukee…not the middle of nowhere. 40 k a year and scholarships covered almost all of it.

 

[littlez]

you would be surprised at the number of kids that have told me they play on travel teams because it started out fun but after their parents put so much time and money in, they feel obligated to continue.
They feel like they have to keep going to get a scholarship that most are never getting.
Can't tell you how many families I know that spent 10's of thousands running their kids around for no scholarships.

And the most expensive of all youth sports is tennis. Here on KC at the racquet clubs the 40-50 kids that are top level spend a minimum 1K a month and that’s before traveling to tournaments and extra coaching there. So for some up to 1500-2000 a month. Starting at 10-12 years old. That’s a minimum of around 80K. And most D1 scholarships are taken by foreign players. Crazy.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Yep. Both my kids played college sports at NAIA schools. One graduated with a Masters and about 10 k in debt. The other will double major and have zero debt…all because of scholarships. Both got recruited due to travel ball.

That’s great. Were those full athletic scholarships? What sports?