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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous[b]]We were at about $15-20 k on figure skating for several years. It’s an all consuming sport. My daughter was not even close to Olympic level but enjoyed it.[/b] Lessons, ice time, skates, dresses (sometimes borrowed), testing fees, club fees, travel. It was hard to scale back without quitting. We ended up convincing her to try other activities to be more well rounded while also impressing upon her the financial impact. She still loves skating but is no longer competing.[/quote]

Not trying to sound critical here, but I often wonder what makes parents think this is worth the expense.  Especially if your child isn't close to the Olympic level.  Especially for a sport like figure skating which isn't a life long sport.  Most likely once your child goes to college, the only ice skating she will ever do again is recreational, and probably not very frequently. Again not trying to be critical, but for those of you who are paying this kind of money for sports which you don't believe will last beyond HS, what makes it worth it. [/quote]
Everyone has different incomes and priorities. Some people spend a fortune on travel. For what? Enjoyment. I’d say that’s why we pay for figure skating. 
It also gradually increases. Had someone told me when we started that it would get up to $30K, I would have said no way. But it starts small and then gradually increases and by that time, your child is incredibly invested in the sport and it’s hard to walk away. At this point, it’s such a huge part of her life and who she is, we won’t walk away. There are other obvious takeaways from being successful at any sport, like discipline, goal setting, self confidence and friendships. I actually don’t expect her to walk away right after high school. I would expect her to continue in college. 
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