00:00Here's one of my proud sports dad moments this fall.
00:04My 8-year-old weaving his way to a flag football touchdown for the Rockford Saints.
00:09My hard-earned sports writing dollars at work.
00:12Cleats? Check. Mouthguard? Check.
00:15Jersey and flags included in the registration fee.
00:20The cost of youth sports continues to rise, adding to what's become a $40 billion a year industry.
00:27Parents who can afford it, pay it because of the many benefits associated with organized sports.
00:33And mostly because they want their kids to be happy and become well-rounded adults.
00:37And hey, maybe even get a scholarship one day.
00:41About 60 million American children play sports, according to the Aspen Institute's latest parent survey.
00:47And the average family spent $1,016 on a child's primary sport in 2024.
00:54That's a 46% increase since 2019.
00:58So, I was curious how my credit card bills stacked up.
01:02And I might need to take a second job.
01:05Experts say kids should play multiple sports when they're young.
01:08And without prompting, my 8-year-old, it seems, took to all of them at once.
01:13Flag football, soccer, basketball, little league, and golf.
01:17Here's the tally for one kid for 2025, starting with the equipment we bought, in no particular order.
01:24This is for football, soccer, little league, which turned out to be the most expensive sport overall.
01:30And a set of starter golf clubs.
01:33$364.26.
01:35Admittedly, there were a few luxury add-ons to get him going.
01:39A mini soccer goal, a basketball hoop for the driveway, and a baseball hitting net, which I learned, if you cover with moving blankets, can double as a golf hitting net.
01:49Total damage here, $227.98.
01:54Luckily, these items should last several years.
01:57And as the kids say, they need their fit, too.
02:00We're helping to keep Nike, Under Armour, and Dick's Sporting Goods in business.
02:04Thankfully, some of this gear can be worn year-round for multiple sports.
02:09My son, however, has already grown out of a few pair of shoes we bought last year.
02:14Total cost for all these items in 2025, $237.92.
02:20So we're already close to $1,000, and then the registration fees and other costs put us over the top.
02:26Adding up the four leagues and eight trips to the driving range this summer, and we dropped $585.92.
02:33Little League was by far the most expensive, but the costs vary depending on where you live and how many kids are playing at a given time.
02:42The grand total, $1,416.08, spent on one child in one year.
02:49And looking into my dad, Crystal Ball, I know that price is going to go up because we have yet to pay for any private lessons or travel.
02:56So that's my experience, and I know I'm not alone.
03:00I'm interested in hearing what other families are spending and what they can expect as their kids get more involved in used sports.
03:06Have you done the math?
03:07What are you spending each year?
03:09Send me a breakdown at cfrancis at san.com.
03:13What are you spending all the time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us spending time with us
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