Youth Sports Has a Hefty Price Tag. What Are You Actually Buying?
The average U.S. sports family spent $1,016 on their child's primary sport in 2024, according to the Aspen Institute's latest parent survey. A New York Life Insurance survey puts the number at $3,000 annually. For hockey families, it can reach $5,000 — or more. And that's before equipment, travel, and the hours that go with it.
Steve Borelli asks the question most parents don't stop to ask: What exactly are we buying? And is it worth it?
What the Research Shows
The cost is creating a two-tier system — and leaving kids behind
Christy Keswick, president of Good Sports (a nonprofit that served 522,000 kids in 2025), says rising costs are creating a split between "haves" and "have-nots." When 80% of players move to expensive travel programs, the affordable recreational leagues that remain accessible to everyone start to disappear — reducing participation across the board, not just for low-income families.
Our ego is part of the equation
"Definitely our ego comes into play, whether we want it to, or not," says one sports dad in the documentary Beyond Stigma. "The kids are in it for the right reasons. They have a great time. It's the parents on the sideline who are upset that their kids aren't in the game." His wife, a former Division I athlete, admitted in the same breath that her daughter not starting still "pisses me off" — even as she acknowledged the absurdity of it.
The time cost is just as real as the money
The 2025 Aspen Institute parent survey found the average sports parent spends 3 hours and 23 minutes every day their child has a practice or game — driving, attending, washing uniforms, preparing meals, communicating with coaches. Abby Wambach's advice: stop going to practices. "This is their time." Borelli's: drop them off and go find your own peace of mind.
Two rules of thumb to reduce cost and injury risk
From sports medicine physician Neeru Jayanthi and the National Athletic Trainers' Association: (1) Don't exceed a child's age in the number of hours per week they play a particular sport. (2) The ratio of organized to unorganized play should not exceed 2 to 1. Following these guidelines reduces both burnout and overuse injuries — and likely saves money too.
"I think we've made youth sports too serious for most kids. This is like beating a dead horse but the stakes are too high for kids, it's not fun for kids. There's a reason why kids are dropping out."
By Steve Borelli — USA TODAY
Published January 17, 2026 · Republished with permission
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