New Jersey congressman Josh Gottheimer introduced the Promoting Lifelong Activity for Youth (PLAY) Act, which would allow taxpaying parents to claim $2,000 in tax credits to cover youth sports expenses.
According to WRNJ, these expenses could range from registration fees to sports equipment and gear, and Gottheimer’s federal bill would also create a grant program to invest in youth sports. As the costs for youth sports programs rise, many parents voiced their appreciation for the initiative. Gottheimer’s own press release estimated that in 2024, families spent an average of $1,016 per child on that child’s primary sport.
“Every kid in Jersey who wants to should have the opportunity to write their own success story playing sports. But here’s the challenge: youth sports have become more and more expensive, and for many families, simply unaffordable. The actions I’m announcing today are a win-win-win for kids, parents and town rec leagues,” said Gottheimer. “It may be competitive, but there is nothing partisan about rec sports. So many of us played rec sports growing up. I have no doubt that kids in New Milford, and across our state and country, will create memories that will last a lifetime.”
The current Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit gives families with one child up to $3,000 and families with two or more children up to $6,000, but spending on youth sports is not an applicable expense. If Gottheimer’s bill is successful, it would increase those credits to $4,000 and $7,000, respectively.
Gottheimer hosted a press conference at Kennedy Memorial Field in New Milford, N.J., and was joined by several local youth sports leaders, including YMCA executives and coaches.
Said Gottheimer, “Local nonprofits, like the YMCA, and towns work hard to keep costs down, but even they are feeling the hit of high costs. In Hackensack, the fee for youth soccer for the fall is $150. For a travel team like the Wyckoff Torpedoes, the under eight and under fourteen program costs $549 for the year, and $750 for high schoolers. When you add to registration fees the cost of shoes or a lacrosse stick and pads, which can cost three or four hundred dollars or more for each kid, as it is, all these costs can be too overwhelming for parents to afford.”
