Playing sports isn’t cheap – Lake County Record-Bee

A friend sent me a photo of Mt. Holly in Michigan. Funny thing is, that’s where I first learned how to ski with my brother and my parents. I wore two pair of heavy socks and a pair of red rubber boots. My feet froze and I don’t remember having fun. Just being cold.

Mt. Holly opened in 1956, I was 8 years old and my brother was 10. My parents were in their early 40s. I’ve always thought that they were brave to begin a sport like skiing in their 40s.

But in Michigan, you either huddle by a fire or get out and enjoy the snow. My family enjoyed the snow.

I remember wearing an old pair of my mom’s ice skates. They weren’t figure skates just plain white skates. I always thought that if I had had figure skates I could have been a contender. But no, I ended up skating on my ankles with absolutely no support. I was the worst skater in the neighborhood.

Skiing was about the same. My brother got a pair of Head skis, great ones available at the time, and I skied on a pair of wooden skis until I was 16. It was after my brother died that I inherited his skis. At 6 feet 3 inches, his skis weren’t for me at 5 feet 7 inches. They completely ruined my skiing. But that’s what I got.

It’s my belief that if your children are going to participate in a sport, they should have the tools/equipment to do so, even though it’s not always easy as equipment is expensive.

Maybe my parents knew I was clumsy. But then they must have known that I persevered for decades in skiing, even after a ski accident that caused a spinal injury. Not in skating though as I never skated on a pair of descent skates.

Renting equipment helps while learning to ski.

My friend Mabel said, “Being one of the parents in the stands for wrestling competitions was like watching paint dry because it would take forever with only two wrestlers wrestling at a time. It was boring and I’d take a book. If my son didn’t make it to the next level, I’d have to stay, for it was a team sport, even for the parents as it wasn’t good sportsmanship to dip out. Rah, rah, rah.”

One friend told me they were dirt poor when she was a kid, and she tried soccer but wasn’t good at it. But she found her love for horses through her dad, a horse trader, so she rode horses and still does.

MoneyFit had great tips on how to budget for youth sports.

Rather than buying all the equipment at one time, get the most important gear, i.e. helmets and cleats for football and skates and helmets for hockey.

Many sports stores have used gear. As with clothing, kids outgrow equipment so it’s a good idea to check with sport stores in your area for items. Also, teams have gear-swaps. If your child is moving up an age bracket, there are others also moving up and leaving their equipment for a child behind them.

Comments on Reddit say that Rec Leagues are much more affordable than competitive sports travel/clubs. Rec Leagues also provide great coaching and skill building for players.

Several comments said the players’ parents should look at helping the team with coaching and other volunteering, plus consider working at events to raise funds for the team to offset the cost of their child/children’s sports.

I have three great grandsons and I’m sure (knock wood) their parents are planning wisely as all three are playing sports.

What’s a girl to do?…guess it’s time to start a “sports fund.”

Lucy Llewellyn Byard welcomes comments lucywgtd@gmail.com