Youth Sports Costs

[BCClone]

Ankeny junior football doesn’t start tackle until 5th anyways.

My oldest was 5th and youngest was 3rd because of a HS coach and another dad who felt their kids needed to start earlier. Those 3rd graders have no attention and you can’t teach any form or proper technique without an attention span.

 

[fcclone]

Best day of my life "Dad, I dont think I wanna do dance anymore"

I didn’t mind dance so much, but when my daughter asked to drop out of band I may have acted a little too excited.

 

[Dopey]

I’d love for my girls to do gymnastics recreationally, but a freaking tumbling class taught by a high school girl is $110 per month for one 40 minute class per week. Insane.

 

[CyCrazy]

Best day of my life "Dad, I dont think I wanna do dance anymore"

I am screwed she is all all about it. 6 more years of this crap. But she loves it so I can't get out.

 

[Clonehomer]

I am screwed she is all all about it. 6 more years of this crap. But she loves it so I can't get out.

But hey, at least she’ll be able to pay her way through college with those dancing skills.

 

[NWICY]

Best day of my life "Dad, I dont think I wanna do dance anymore"

Neighbor girl just dropped competitive gymnastics that saves her folks 300 miles a week and about 12 hrs a wk. I have no idea what the actual lessons cost. But just gas and time is a heck of a savings.

 

[CyCrazy]

But hey, at least she’ll be able to pay her way through college with those dancing skills.

She is pretty damn good at track, made US nationals the last 3 years so maybe some money for that. One can hope.

 

[Shawker]

My daughter is all in on volleyball and it's not cheap. Her club cost was $3K after making the roster and that doesn't count travel expenses to Chicago, Madison, Omaha, Kansas City, Quad Cities and Orlando. We will probably end up spending close to $10K once you take everything into account. We can afford it and we enjoy the time together but it's definitely wild how expensive it is when I consider I just played basketball through the Y and did rec soccer.

 

[NWICY]

I'm nervous about this with my son. I grew up in a small community and was able to play everything. My son is a good athlete, but likes doing lots of things. He wouldn't have fun playing one sport longer than the given season. Which is appropriate for a kid his age. I'm just curious what it means for his athletic career come high school.

I'm probably out of line for saying this but unless he is the 1 in a hundred does his HS athletic career really matter in the long run? It'll help for D3 but unless you are really talented D1 is a long stretch for most. I would suggest that excelling in speech and debate along with being a ok athlete will help him more in life. My niece is a excellent musician with a talent for speech also, Simpson scholarshipped her enough that it was the same cost as ISU (that's what here folks said I don't know the real numbers)

Hopefully you don't take offense to this statement because it isn't meant that way.

 

[NWICY]

I am screwed she is all all about it. 6 more years of this crap. But she loves it so I can't get out.

One of my nieces did Dance through senior yr made some awards at state HS dance championships etc.., the growth you see through their career is really quite amazing, but I wasn't paying for the costumes.

 

[CyCrazy]

. N My daughter is all in on volleyball and it's not cheap. Her club cost was $3K after making the roster and that doesn't count travel expenses to Chicago, Madison, Omaha, Kansas City, Quad Cities and Orlando. We will probably end up spending close to $10K once you take everything into account. We can afford it and we enjoy the time together but it's definitely wild how expensive it is when I consider I just played basketball through the Y and did rec soccer.

F that my kids will not play club sports except for track. My BIL probably spent half a mil on his daughters playing softball all over the country, no thanks.

 

[NWICY]

My grandson, who was 2nd grade last year, played in the Ankeny Centennial basketball club and I'd say it was a good experience overall.

However, I was really ticked off about the expense. In addition to having to pay the $325 participation fee, I believe adults (includes parents, grandparents, etc) had to pay $8 each and children $4 each for admission to watch his games on the weekends. So that meant my wife and my son's family had to fork out another $40 each weekend to watch our grandson play a couple of 45 minute games.

The participation fee goes up to $425 next year and $500 the year after that.

Helps you understand how the more affluent Des Moines suburbs have such better basketball programs than the other communities. I think that's sad.

$8 to watch 2nd grade BB, woof they are playing on family loyalty a lot there.

 

[NWICY]

Pretty much how I feel, never been about scholarships for me just for the fun of the game and to compete at the highest level they can growing up. You don't have to play at the best club, you could just play up a year or two if you need more competition and want to save money. Going to tournaments as a kid are some of my best memories. Learned early to go north if you want to win every soccer tourney and south if you want to win every hockey tourney. Basketball we just got our ass kicked everywhere.

Please don't take the laughing emoji wrong, but the BB comment made me LOL. Glad you had fun when you were young.

 

[Pope]

Please don't take the laughing emoji wrong, but the BB comment made me LOL. Glad you had fun when you were young.

I had the exact same reaction!

 

[DRH]

If you decide to go the more competitive route, do your damnedest to find an unaffiliated team or group of kids and families to create your own team. Clubs and lessons and all that are mostly a racket and will take your money to essentially pay for the name on the jersey. There’s so many resources online to help with player and even coach development.

Find a good group. Commit to a reasonable amount of games and tournaments. Split the cost of jerseys and tournament fees and you’re good to go.