I can't afford kids....
I've been talking to some of my co-workers, and have come to the conclusion that we can't afford kids. One co-worker's 7 year old boy plays hockey. Joining the league costs him $1300 per season, and that doesn't include equipment or the additional cost of tournaments. Another has a 6th grade daughter who's on the competitive softball squad. Another $1300 spent, not including travel, lodging, and meals. Her first tournament is this weekend in Philly.Not to sound like the grumpy old man here, or anything, but the first few years I played grade school softball, we got shirts. We had to supply our own shorts because the school wouldn't supply softball pants, that was way too expensive. (As a side note, this probably spawned 20 little feminists, given the boys all were given pants. And trust me, we noticed.) I think in 6th grade, we finally got those dorky stirrup pants, and that was a huge, hairy deal. I can't even wrap my mind around $1300 for a kid to play anything.
posted by MyHusbandRules @ 7:07 AM
2 Comments:
Depends on the sport and the league around here. Last year my nephew played for an urban pee-wee football league. Full contact, so full gear. My sister shelled out hundreds of dollars for his participation and personal gear (cleats, etc.). What was incredible about this was that there were a lot of his teammates that came from single parent-households and public assitance situations. They, too, ponied up, to get their kids off the streets of Homewood (or where-ever.)
This year, though, my sister learned about a Flag Football League sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club. It was only $15!
The local baseball and soccer leagues (like Dynamo, which isn't fantastic, but...) tend to be less expensive. Also, it depends on whether you are content with your local school's offering of sports (or private or parochial school should you choose those). And what your goals are. If you really beleive that a hockey league is going to groom your 7 year old son or daughter for an eventual full Div I-A scholarship and an Olympic tryout, then $1300 is an investment. If you are merely concerned about assuring your children have a healthy lifestyle, well, Frick Park is free.
$15 I could handle! Frick Park I could handle! It's the mind boggling 4 digit numbers that make my head hurt. And the fact that I know the approx ballpark in which these folks are paid, and I'm not sure how they can raise multiple kids on that salary if part of the deal is those 4 digit sports leagues.
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