Good Sports, an organization that makes youth sports accessible to low-income children and families, has conducted a survey in partnership with The Harris Poll to understand the cost of youth sports in 2024.
The five-question survey includes results from more than 700 parents to “identify the core issues and how it’s affecting them and their children’s ability to participate.” The results overwhelmingly showed that while parents want to keep their children in sports, the cost is becoming unreasonable. And, while those families with a household income of over $75,000 were more likely to report their children as playing sports, that demographic still accounts for the parents who have considered pulling their child out of the sport due to cost.
Of the parents surveyed, the most common sports they reported their children as playing were basketball (37%), baseball/softball (31%), soccer (30%) and football (28%).
According to The Price of Play: Unpacking the Cost of Youth Sports, “95% of parents believe children benefit from playing a sport.” At the same time, “58% of parents whose children are currently playing sports say paying for the equipment needed to play has become a financial stress for their family.”
Because of that rising cost, the report found that “14% of parents say they have not signed their children up for sports.”
The rising costs of sports participation sway parents’ decisions more than any other factor including the time commitment (19%) or concerns over maintaining academic performance (17%).
“What does this mean for children? They will miss out on both the physical and emotional benefits sports have to offer because they are being priced out of the opportunity to play,” said the report. “There is a widespread recognition that sports are critical for children’s development, yet many families around the country are unable to afford the costs. The rising costs of participation pose significant challenges for many families, leading to difficult decisions that no one wants to have to make.”
