My soccer team roared back from a deficit to a 2-1 comeback win last Sunday. The win good enough to put us in second place heading into playoffs. There’s nothing quite like hearing the final whistle and the feeling the satisfaction of a hard fought win. I’d love for my mini-me to have as much fun playing soccer as I do. It doesn’t cost me a whole lot for me to play year round but I have no idea how much I’ll need to shell out for him kick a ball around. The kid is barely a year and a half but how much will it cost to send my kid to play?
House League
House league is a great way for kids to get introduced to a sport. These leagues are focused on letting the children have fun, allowing them to develop skills and make friends. Kids can get started as early as 4 years old. The outdoor seasons are generally split between the Spring and Summer Months: (May-June/July-Sept) while Fall and Winter months (Oct-Dec/Jan-Apr) are indoor. Time commitment is generally limited to one session per week for the 8-12 week period. At the age of U7 and up, some house leagues will have two sessions per week consisting of a practice and a game.
The cost for for a child at a local club in the under 4 age category costs $145 in the Spring, $130 in the Summer, $173 in the Fall and $220 in the Winter. Some leagues fees will include a team uniform, a ball, a team photo and a tournament. Some even have pizza parties!
Cost: ~$670/year
Representative League
Rep leagues have more of a competitive edge and look to further build on fundamental skills. Teams are made up of players who try out and represent the club as the best players of the given age group. These teams travel to compete against teams from other clubs. There is a greater time commitment with at least two practices a week with games on weekends. Rep leagues tend to cost more as they employ certified coaches and referees. In addition to league fees, there are also accommodations to take into consideration for those weekend road games and tournaments.
The cost to send a kid under 8 to play in the 2013/14 indoor season is $568 at this same local club. Since we’re just getting into the thick of winter, the cost of the 2014 outdoor season is not yet available. I checked in with a co-worker who has a daughter playing U10 rep in nearby Mississauga. At that club, the outdoor season costs $750 and the indoor costs $400. Her fees include a team practice and a technical training session per week. Additional positioning training sessions are available at an extra cost.
Cost: ~$1150/year
The Academy
For the parents who are convinced that their young one is set to one day become Fifa’s footballer of the year, there’s the academy program. Rates range from $3000-5000 per year according to the Soccer Academy Alliance Canada.
Some Perspective
I imagine that sports like hockey and baseball revolve around a similar tiered structure with ever increasing costs. According to this handy infographic from the US, a grandmother spent $4000 on an 8 year old in fast-pitch while father spent $11k on the sports for his two boys. Equipment costs are extra.
Egad! It costs what now?!
I was surprised to find that it’s going to cost at least $700 in league and equipment fees for the little one to kick a ball around. Isn’t soccer supposed to be one of the cheaper sports to play? At this rate, it looks like I’ll be paying at almost twice as much to send the little one to soccer than it costs for me to play year round. At that young an age, the most important thing will be for him to experience and enjoy the game. Hopefully to the point that he’ll one day love the game as much as I do.
How much would you pay to send your kid to little league?
Photograph Source: The Paper Wall
Is this in the U.S.? I wonder what the numbers are for Canada.
The the little league costs for soccer are Canadian but the infographic is from the US. I’m inclined to think that the two aren’t far from each other in comparison.