Most replies are re: rec level. OP is asking about cost beyond rec level.

Depends. Travel and coaches are what is $$$$$.

I think you hit on it with track OP. Or cross country. Yes you might pay for private coaching which is always going to be $$$ but running does not require special facilities access (very easy to find public availability to even very nice tracks and running trails) and the most minimal equipment possible.

The problem with almost all sports is that once club options are developed for younger kids, you have to participate in order to be competitive for HS. It used to be much easier for people to do rec sports and still become competitive for HS as long as they were dedicated and worked hard (and usually, had som natural skill). That's not the case anymore. It's too bad. But it does help wealthy and UMC families protect their access to these sports as potential avenues for college scholarships and leadership opportunities for their kids, so I guess that's nice.

Wrestling

For soccer, it’s the travel cost (hotels and meals) and additional training/coaching that add up, not the equipment. Soccer is not cheap if you are ECNL or other comparable travel leagues.

A lot of serious track people start before HS and do club track. There is typically travel involved in club track. Serious runners are going to have to get new shoes every couple of months, but I do generally agree that it is cheap equipment wise. People aren't really comparing apples to apples on this thread. Basketball has almost no equipment (shoes and a ball), and it is cheap if all your kid is doing is going to the rec center to play at open gym. Same with soccer. Find a group of kids playing pickup. You don't even need to wear cleats or shin guards.

Anonymous wrote:Soccer only has cleats and ball as equipment. The mid-level travel teams can be less than a $1000 a year with good coaching.

Swim is around $4k for most competitve programs.

Running is cheap. Like buy shoes and join the HS team

You can say the same about soccer that you said about running. You can also add in a track coach and pay a lot more

Soccer only has cleats and ball as equipment. The mid-level travel teams can be less than a $1000 a year with good coaching.

Swim is around $4k for most competitve programs.

Running is cheap. Like buy shoes and join the HS team

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swimming or running

I don't think of year round swim teams as particularly cheap. Not sky high expensive, but not cheap.

The county run ones are pretty reasonable

OP said beyond the rec level

Something like RMSC is run by the county but definitely not at a rec level. That’s specifically what I was thinking of.

But there’s still a lot of additional costs that can add up. Suits aren’t cheap, especially tech suits. Meet fees (I don’t know what RMSC covers…those are additional at DCs club). And summer swim is separate as is HS swim and both incur costs. Sure you can get by with just a basic suit and cheap goggles but OP did say beyond rec level, and most kids who swim beyond that level want and/or need some if not all of this.

Anonymous wrote:Track
Soccer is relatively inexpensive

Op said past rec, no? in the deep throes of funding national level player - not cheap.

Roller hockey in Fredericksburg, VA

https://www.fyrhl.org/home

Fast, cheap, good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tennis.

No. Tennis is so expensive. It’s mostly the coaching fees.

Here is a ranking by cost for our family’s experiences with competitive/travel sports (3 kids):

1. Tennis
2. Volleyball
3. Soccer
4. Swim

The experience with volleyball may vary. If you live in Virginia, volleyball is twice as expensive as it is in Maryland. It is quite ridiculous that the prices are so different in such a small geographic area. I am not sure how the clubs in Virginia get away with those club fees.

Anonymous wrote:Tennis.

No. Tennis is so expensive. It’s mostly the coaching fees.

Here is a ranking by cost for our family’s experiences with competitive/travel sports (3 kids):

1. Tennis
2. Volleyball
3. Soccer
4. Swim

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swimming or running

I don't think of year round swim teams as particularly cheap. Not sky high expensive, but not cheap.

The county run ones are pretty reasonable

OP said beyond the rec level

Something like RMSC is run by the county but definitely not at a rec level. That’s specifically what I was thinking of.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swimming or running

I don't think of year round swim teams as particularly cheap. Not sky high expensive, but not cheap.

The county run ones are pretty reasonable

OP said beyond the rec level

OP here - correct. County/rec, etc. are great and provide many options, but once you outgrow or age out, then what is the least expensive. Football is a good one I hadn't thought of because much of it is done through schools, albeit there are camps you can attend that could drive up the cost.

Wrestling clubs are the cheapest sporting activity my kids have participated in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swimming or running

I don't think of year round swim teams as particularly cheap. Not sky high expensive, but not cheap.

The county run ones are pretty reasonable

OP said beyond the rec level