Conservatory dance ( not competition) runs us about $6k during the school year and $2k for local Summer intensives. Cost will likely go up when she is old enough for summer intensives in other cities. And YAGP is beyond our financial capabilities.

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Not sports, but music can get expensive too. DD is 6 and right now it's up to 5K a year, not counting cost of the instrument.
And I hear SAT prep is at least $200 an hour...

Are you crazy? Spending that much in a 6 year old. Way to push your kid.

Ha. Anytime it's sports-related, people don't blink an eye at the high prices, but when it's not sports, the parents are crazy and the kid is "pushed". Double standards.
Incidentally I'm not crazy. She's in a program where weekly lessons are expensive, and she has opportunities to attend recitals and master classes, which she loves to do.

I think it's the other way around, dear. The very existence of this thread proves that a fair number of very smug people thing spending money on athletics is frivolous and crazy but that there is some inherent virtue in expenditures for the arts.

The reality is, getting truly *good* at any activity like this requires a lot of expense.

Sure, a kid can play rec sports and not pay a lot, just as a kid can take band in middle school and only play the instrument during class.

Rec soccer. Cost $85/season +$15 for a uniform which can be used for at least 2 seasons. You only need to buy a ball and shin guards. I have friends that have paid $1000 / season for travel squads and their kids have quit playing before high school.

If he just started, get a basic practice foil with a French grip. My DS likes the basic 3 weapon mask from Blue Gauntlet. He doesn't like the masks with lots of pads. If you want to try stuff on and can wait a bit, all of the vendors come to the Gaylord in January for the Capital Clash. It's usually MLK weekend.

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Anonymous wrote:Tween DS fences. One class per week is $120/month. One private lesson per week is $120/month. Tournaments run $25-$75 depending on whether they are local (cheaper) or regional/national. Travel to most tournaments might be a tank of gas and food. Very rarely do we need to stay in hotels. He has one tournament appr. every 4-6 weeks. It is our choice so we pick ones that fit our schedule. Gear probably costs $150/year. He grows slowly so he's had the same mask for 3 yrs and his shoes last for nearly 2 yrs.

Any recommendations on where in Montgomery County? Where do you buy the gear? Any gear recommendations?

We don't live in the area but I've seen kids from Rockville Fencing Academy at some tournaments.

http://www.urfencing.com/rfa-info.html

There are a few fencing equipment vendors. Absolute Fencing, Blue Gauntlet and Fencing Armor are ones we've bought gear from in the past. I wouldn't buy any gear until you know your child will continue with the sport. Try a Learn to Fence class first. If your child wants to continue, buy a glove and a mask. Then buy a practice weapon. If they decide they want to compete in USFA tournaments, they need 2 electric weapons, 2 body cords, 2 mask cords, a lame, knickers, socks, shoes (they don't need to be fencing shoes), underarm protector. Start with the cheaper stuff esp if your child grows quickly.

He's in the beginner class and loving it. RFA seems to be the only foil and I like the look of foil the best (he would not care). We're just trying to figure out which mask, foil, and jacket. I am not a fan of borrowing their masks as I can't imagine they clean them.

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Anonymous wrote:Gymnastics: $250 per month for gym fees, $35-$50 a half hour for private sessions, $150 for each competition fee, $350 to $1,000 per leotard (the number you need depends on the level at which you compete, max being 3), $35 per practice leotard, $25 per pair of bicycle shorts for over the practice leotard, $300 per year for coaching expenses, costs associated with getting your kid to daily practice if you work, and travel expenses which vary depending on the level at which you compete. If your child is international competition material, the travel can be more than $10k per year.

Please provide a link for a $1000 leotard.

The radio this morning said the Olympic one's are $1300 so I believe it.

I think that's a little different. Please provide a link for a child's one.

You don't buy them off the rack. They are specially designed and made. You're paying for the designer and the actual making of the leotard. Cost depends on the design - particularly how much hand work goes into it. So I don't have a link. Also in the costs I forgot choreography which in early years is only a few hundred but as kids progress goes to the $5k mark if you have to travel to the choreographer. If the choreographer comes to you it's a bit cheaper because you can get a group tether and split the expenses.

Why would anyone DO this??
you must be rolling in it!

No one starts out to do this. You take your toddler to a class and they show promise. They are invited to join a team. Then they excel and become elite. as parents you sacrifice and change your lifestyle. Thing is that you don't anticipate this when you start with that first toddler class.

travel soccer--about $2500 for the years' registration and uniform plus $300 for winter training and about $300 for the required week of summer camp. Plus cleats and indoor shoes (about $50 each).

Travel baseball---$800 a season (so $1600 total for fall and spring) plus a few hundred for uniforms. Summer was $400 this year. So let's say around $2.2K a year.

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Anonymous wrote:Thousands of dollars per year, on tennis, tournaments. I wish I never put a raquet in his hand.

At least tennis is a lifelong sport. Life golf, it is something he can easily do recreationally all his life in any place. Few people have the ability or opportunity to play lacrosse or soccer as senior citizens. (Well, except for that 41 year old Olympic gymnast! )

I know tons of old guys who play soccer. Same with basketball. There are lots of mens leagues out there for both sports.

I'm the hockey mom PP. my 42 y/o DH plays on two adult rec league hockey teams. Lots of sports can be lifelong.

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Anonymous wrote:Thousands of dollars per year, on tennis, tournaments. I wish I never put a raquet in his hand.

At least tennis is a lifelong sport. Life golf, it is something he can easily do recreationally all his life in any place. Few people have the ability or opportunity to play lacrosse or soccer as senior citizens. (Well, except for that 41 year old Olympic gymnast! )

I know tons of old guys who play soccer. Same with basketball. There are lots of mens leagues out there for both sports.

In our home, sports have never been a focus, but they can be rather expensive.
The non-sporty kid did a smattering of rec league sports (swimming, field hockey). I don't think it was ever more than $500 per year total. She is more the academic type, so the flip side is that we invested time for her to go to a magnet school that is not very close to home. That meant a lot of time in the car. She is in college at this point and goes to the gym fairly regularly.
The more athletic kid did competitive dance. All in it was probably 4-5k per year. That included multiple regular lessons for different types of dance, the competitive team class, competition fees, a semi-private here and there for duos, costumes, a few local competitions, and one travel (half-day driving distance away) competition. Probably the most expensive bit were the costumes for all the different dance styles for the recital at the end of the year. For competitions, one costume lasted per year per entry in the competitions. After an injury partially triggered by repetitive use, dance was over. She now is a fairly regular gym-goer.
I think it is a long way of saying that we never went all in with sports and are glad to a degree that we didn't because DDs are active and healthy. I care soooo much more about that than something like being on a travel team.

Wow, I have a rising kindergartner not yet involved in sports - this thread has taught me which to steer away from!!