Adding up youth sports cost, what one reporter spent for his kid in 2025

Straight Arrow News

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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.

00:38And 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.

01:44Which 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.

02:05Thankfully, 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.

02:22And 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.

02:34Little League was by far the most expensive, but the costs vary depending on where you live

02:39and 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

02:53because we have yet to pay for any private lessons or travel.

02:57So that's my experience, and I know I'm not alone.

03:00I'm interested in hearing what other families are spending

03:02and 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.

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