Anyone pay more than $6000 per year for your teen to participate in an expensive sport?

[Anonymous]

Our DD (age 14) participates in an expensive sport. We are very proud and supportive of her, but we are also a little blown away that we are paying more than $6000 per year.

If your child plans an expensive sport,

(1) what is the sport?
(2) how much do you spend annually (or have you spent over the years)?
(3) what are most of the costs from (private lessons, travel, etc)?
(4) in hindsight, do you wish you'd steered your child to a cheaper sport, or less expensive activities?

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I'm paying almost that much (maybe around $5,000) for DS to play travel lacrosse. The team itself is maybe $3,000 a year, but there is also private lessons (maybe $1,000 a year), and travel costs (gas and hotel rooms).

I am happy to pay because he loves it and is good at it.

[Anonymous]

We're definitely spending $6k+ on son's sport - including all travel costs for tournaments. We started in the $2k range when he was 8 and it's gradually gone up each year. He's 16. It's likely that he'll play the sport in college.

We pay $180 to $100 for private lessons, $300 for weekend clinics, $500+ for 'showcases' so he can be seen be college coaches. Tournaments are now along the east coast, which means flights + car + hotel.

Hindsight - it's a very expensive for him and us. We can afford it. The $$ didn't come from any other pot. It's really his identity and he's made life-long friends, and I wouldn't take this adventure away from him. Honestly, there's nothing else he'd rather be doing with his free time, and getting to spend a lot of time with him has formed some strong bonds.

[Anonymous]

We are between $25-30K yearly for figure skating, so it sounds like a bargain to me! The majority goes to coaching as it’s all individually coached. She does around four half hour lessons a week and coaches are $100/hr. Ice time and travel make up the majority of the rest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are between $25-30K yearly for figure skating, so it sounds like a bargain to me! The majority goes to coaching as it’s all individually coached. She does around four half hour lessons a week and coaches are $100/hr. Ice time and travel make up the majority of the rest.

Choreography, costumes, ballet, strength training.

BTDT. A beautiful sport but so expensive

[Anonymous]

We're spending a little under than on horseback riding.

[Anonymous]

Cheerleading - team expense and travel! My kid loves it though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are between $25-30K yearly for figure skating, so it sounds like a bargain to me! The majority goes to coaching as it’s all individually coached. She does around four half hour lessons a week and coaches are $100/hr. Ice time and travel make up the majority of the rest.

Wow. Just wow.

[Anonymous]

Well our daughters sport turned into us buying a horse. So we are at about 27k a year with boarding, fees, vet bills, and then the competitions itself. Still worth it as she is very grateful and very hard working. She's been at the stalls everyday at 545 am since we bought the horse 17 months ago. Literally every.single.day. Now Im driving her so I end up just helping because I want to get home sooner but still I don't ever have to ask her she's up and ready.

Twin sons play travel soccer and its a steal at 8k. 3k each plus travel. Our travel costs are VERY low because of DH hotel points he earns through work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well our daughters sport turned into us buying a horse. So we are at about 27k a year with boarding, fees, vet bills, and then the competitions itself. Still worth it as she is very grateful and very hard working. She's been at the stalls everyday at 545 am since we bought the horse 17 months ago. Literally every.single.day.

Heh, a friend of mine who bought his daughter a horse said that a major advantage of it was "she's too busy to bother with boys".

[Anonymous]

Both our sons played travel LAX and one is off to Navy next year to play. The other is on his varsity team as a sophomore and starts. We spent about that on travel teams.

They never had private lessons though. They are athletically gifted. No need to force it. No need for special showcases. They go to a great public school with a well known program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both our sons played travel LAX and one is off to Navy next year to play. The other is on his varsity team as a sophomore and starts. We spent about that on travel teams.

They never had private lessons though. They are athletically gifted. No need to force it. No need for special showcases. They go to a great public school with a well known program.

I can see that private coaching would not be needed (luckily) for kids who are athletically gifted.

For my kids, we love that they are kept busy and active with their involvement in sports, but private coaching is necessary for them to keep up (as they are not athletically gifted).

[Anonymous]

For my DD, band -- HS band -- is costing us about 4K/year; 2500 in lessons, 850 in band fees (school/boosters), and the instrument costs; Bassoon's and reeds don't grow on trees.

[Anonymous]

Another figure skating parent - not at $25K per year, but she is still young (9). I refuse to add up how much it costs per year but it is definitely more than $6K. My other one is a fencer and costs for her are also above $6K when you include travel, equipment, and tournament fees. And we are not rich, so this requires sacrifices as a family.

I tried to steer them to less expensive sports to no avail. But so far I don’t regret their choices.

[Anonymous]

Tennis. 12k