Youth sports, you’ve got to love them, but they can be expensive. Seriously, when did youth sports become so spendy?! I will be the first to admit I am not very educated on sports, but my 3 boys play a few sports now and have played many sports throughout their childhood. I know that all sports can be expensive, but there are ways to afford your children’s sports.
My middle son, Bryson pitching
All 3 of our boys play hockey, almost year-round. Our middle son and youngest son also play baseball and our two oldest boys play football. We’ve tried soccer and basketball, but they’ve stuck with hockey, baseball, and football. So, we have done our fair share of sports. I am a huge advocate for youth sports and having your children play more than one sport during their childhood. Each sport has its own list of gear, uniforms, pictures, team meals, travel, possible hotel stays, etc. You can spend a small fortune on trying to pay and do it all.
So, my #1 tip- DON’T. You DO NOT have to attend every team meal. You DO NOT have to pay for all the extra merchandise, like logo hoodie sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats, pants, etc. I understand, you will most likely need to purchase the sports uniforms, but all the extra optional items and clothing are not needed.
Sometimes we buy the extra clothing for our boys’ birthday or Christmas gifts. You guys, the hockey hoodies that are offered at each tournament are like $65-$90 each! This is expensive! And with multiple kids, these expenses add up quickly. You could also ask for gear and sporting fees for your kids as gifts for their birthday or Christmas from family. My parents have bought sports equipment for our boys for their birthdays before and the kids love it! Of course, I would LOVE to get my kids every single hoodie and t-shirt they want and ask for. But we need to be realistic. And guess what? They don’t need it! This also makes them realize nothing is free and they will become more responsible with their money. My sister also makes sports clothes for our boys as gifts. This is a great option, because not only is it homemade, but they are unique in that only my kids have the exact clothing and decals.
Now, let’s talk concession stands. This can be a huge money suck. We have spent so much money on concession food, candy, and drinks over the years. I have now learned, (I’ll be honest, I don’t do it all the time, but I try) to give each kid a set amount of money for the weekend to spend on concessions. This works great for those baseball and hockey tournament weekends. I might give each kid $10 and that must last them for the whole weekend. They can decide how to spend it and when to spend it throughout the weekend. This keeps them accountable, and responsible, and most importantly, it keeps them from coming up to me every 10 minutes asking for more money for a snack. “Come on Mom, it’s just one dollar!” Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t. It works better for the older kids, but my 6-year-old is starting to grasp the process.
We also tend to bring a lot of snacks and I usually bring myself water and tea. I am addicted to Pure Leaf Raspberry tea, and I have 1 a day. I know we aren’t supposed to “carry in” food and drinks so sometimes I will keep them in my car. We also bring sandwiches or fruits and vegetables to eat so we are not buying as much at concessions. Again, we do not do this all the time, but when we do, I am reminded how much money we save, and we also eat healthier. So, it is a win-win.
Carpooling is a wonderful and smart option for youth sports events. There are many times we take another kid with us or send one of our boys with another family. This helps not only with saving money, but also helps build team relationships. We have met many of our good friends through youth sports. Carpooling also cuts down on fuel expenses and possibly hotel expenses if the sporting event takes place where you need to spend the night in a hotel.
We also buy equipment used when able. This helps us save money from buying all our equipment new. We also sell some of our used equipment to put that money towards our next needed gear. Some gear we always buy new, including our boy’s hockey helmets. I feel like a new helmet is safer and protects their heads better than a used helmet. Kind of like a kid’s car seat, you do not want to buy those used.
Our sports families become like our family. So occasionally we buddy up for hotel stays. This has only happened a few times, as our family of 5 tries to attend all the games, especially a tournament weekend with a hotel stay. But occasionally for hockey we are split between 2 cities and so I will stay with another mom and kid in a hotel room and split the cost.
My son and his best friend holding their baseball trophy. This particular weekend we brought food and grilled out on our truck tailgate to save money. The kids loved it and it was yummy-tasting food.
I know there are families whose kids are in five different sports or activities at one time. Cutting it back to 1-2 sports or activities will save you money. It is ok to tell your children that they must pick which sports or clubs they want to be a part of and that they can’t do them all. I also feel that letting them try something different is a great idea too. Our youngest son, Colton, age 6, is trying Boy Scouts for the first time this year. It is a much smaller commitment than hockey. He was so excited to try something new and something that his 2 older brothers did not do. However, next year he will need to pick between Boy Scouts and Hockey, as we do not have the time or money to do both.
We also have a sports sinking fund. A sinking fund is simply a savings account for a specific reason. So we put a set amount of money aside into a sports account each month. Then when we need to purchase something for my boys’ sports, we just pull the money out of that account to pay for it.
One thing you can investigate is if the sports have a scholarship you can apply to. I know our hockey program offers two scholarships every season. There are requirements to be eligible, but it is worth looking into a scholarship to pay for some of or the entire season.
The bottom line is DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR YOUR KIDS’ SPORTS. There are many sports that are less expensive than others. There are many ways for you to cut down on expenses related to sports. But you might have to get a little creative. I know it isn’t as fun to bring your lunch or supper instead of going out with the team for a meal. Sometimes sacrifices are needed to stay out of debt and to be able to afford kids’ activities and that is ok.
