Rising costs push youth sports out of reach for many families

Sports are a big part of many kids’ lives, but for a growing number of families, the cost of keeping their children on the field is becoming a serious challenge.A recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the nonprofit Good Sports found that 56% of parents are concerned they won’t be able to afford sports for their kids next year due to rising expenses. That concern is being felt right here in Maine.From enrollment fees and travel expenses to equipment costs, the price tag on youth sports participation is steadily climbing.”A lot of kids are getting cut out of playing because of those costs,” said Christy Keswick, co-founder and president of Good Sports.According to the Aspen Institute’s State of Play Report, the average family now spends nearly $900 a year for one child to participate in their primary sport.Good Sports is working to bring those costs down by providing equipment, apparel and footwear to youth organizations across the country.”We don’t want that opportunity and those benefits just to be for a chosen few. We want to make sure that all kids get that opportunity,” Keswick said.One local organization benefiting from Good Sports’ mission is the Alfond Youth & Community Center (AYCC) in Waterville. The center revamped its pricing model with help from donations, allowing more families to afford participation in its wide variety of sports programs.”What we do is we allow people to sign up, no questions asked. Ten-dollar increments from $0 to $100,” said Beth LaFountain, Athletic Director at the AYCC.LaFountain said the pay-as-you-go approach is helping prevent kids from being sidelined by financial barriers.”You can argue that sports and athletics right now are more important than ever in a child’s development,” she said. “I want the kid that needs the program more than the program needs the kid.”For Jeremy Jones, a Waterville father of three young athletes, the rising costs of sports have sparked tough conversations at home.”It was never a real consideration, but it’s been a thought, you know, and concern, in the past, as to how we were going to afford it,” he said.Thanks to the AYCC’s support, Jones said those discussions haven’t come up recently.”That would be a hard conversation. I know there are families that have had to have that conversation in the past,” Jones said.He hopes more communities in Maine follow suit in making youth sports more accessible.”It’s been amazing to be able to see the kids come together and not have those barriers or hurdles or boundaries that maybe prevent them from doing the same things that their peers get to do on the weekends and after school and playing sports,” Jones said.If your family is feeling the financial pressure of youth sports, local programs like the AYCC may be able to help. If equipment is a concern, you can reach out directly to Good Sports for support.