Every season brings another registration form.
Then comes the tournament fee. The new cleats. The hotel weekend two hours away. The private lesson the coach says your child really needs. By spring, the activity you signed up for at a few hundred dollars has quietly become one of the biggest lines in your family budget.
You are not imagining it. According to the Aspen Institute's national survey of youth sports parents, the average family now spends $1,016 a year on one child's main sport, up 46% since 2019. That is twice the rate of inflation.
We spent weeks researching what 18 youth activities really cost, from school sports to figure skating. Here is what every parent should know before committing to the next season.
Want the full breakdown? Our 24 page parent guide covers every cost line for all 18 activities, plus scholarship odds, injury risks, and the benefits worth investing in. Download the guide here.
The posted fee is only part of the bill
The registration fee is the number you see. It is rarely the number you pay.
Across hockey, baseball, soccer, and cheer, the posted team fee often covers only 40% to 60% of what families actually spend. The rest shows up later:
- Tournament and meet entries, from $150 to $2,500 each
- Hotels and travel, which can make up 20% to 40% of an elite budget
- Private lessons at $60 to $120 an hour
- Gear replaced as your child grows, $200 to $1,400 a year
- Uniforms and warmups, $200 to $400 or more
- Gate and spectator fees, $5 to $15 per person per day
Before you commit to any program, ask for a written estimate of the full year, including travel.
What 18 activities cost at the highest level
Recreational play is affordable for almost every activity. The price climbs quickly once a child moves to travel or elite teams. Here is the yearly cost per child at the highest commonly reported level of play:
- Figure skating: $20,000 to $50,000+
- Horseback riding: $15,000 to $30,000+
- Ice hockey: $11,000 to $25,000+
- Club soccer: $8,000 to $20,000
- Travel baseball: $6,000 to $15,000
- Junior golf: $8,000 to $15,000+
- Tennis: $12,000+
- All Star cheer: $8,000 to $10,000+
- Club swimming: $3,000 to $10,000+
- Club volleyball: $6,000 to $8,000+
- Competition dance: $4,000 to $8,000+
- Competitive gymnastics: $6,000 to $7,200+
- AAU basketball: $5,000 to $8,000+
- Traditional martial arts: $1,200 to $6,000+
- BJJ and MMA: $1,000 to $3,000+
- Music lessons: $1,000 to $2,500
- Youth football: $400 to $900
- School sports: $0 to $200
Our full guide breaks down every one of these activities line by line: tuition, memberships, coaching, equipment, uniforms, competition fees, and travel.
The scholarship math most parents never see
Many families justify the cost of travel sports with the hope of a college scholarship. The numbers tell a different story.
About 40% of competitive sports parents expect their child to earn an athletic scholarship. According to the NCAA, only about 2% of high school athletes receive one, and most of those awards are partial. Division III schools offer no athletic scholarships at all.
When we compared five years of competitive spending with the expected value of a scholarship, almost every sport came out as a loss:
- Ice hockey: about $42,000
- Tennis: about $31,000
- Club swimming: about $19,000
- Junior golf: about $14,000
- Club soccer: about $12,000
- Travel baseball: about $11,000
If paying for college is the goal, a 529 plan is usually the better investment.
See the scholarship odds and return on investment for your child's sport. The parent guide includes the numbers for every activity. Download the guide here.
The risks that come with the price
Cost is not the only thing worth weighing. Every activity carries its own risks.
- Concussions: Football has the highest concussion rate in high school sports, at 8.49 per 10,000 practices and games. Girls' soccer is second at 5.23.
- Catastrophic injury: Cheerleading accounts for about 65% of catastrophic injuries to female high school and college athletes.
- Overuse injuries: Athletes under 18 now account for nearly one third of Tommy John elbow surgeries at major orthopedic centers.
- Burnout: About 70% of children leave organized sports by age 13, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Research from Utah State University adds one more finding worth remembering. The more families spend, the less their children enjoy the sport, because children feel the investment as pressure.
What your child actually gains
None of this means your child should not play. The right activity builds far more than athletic skill. It builds health, friendships, and character.
When young people are asked why they play, 50% say for fun and 48% say to be with friends. Only 8% say a scholarship. They already understand what matters most.
Focus, discipline, grit, respect, and leadership can be far more valuable than any college scholarship. A scholarship pays for a few years of school. Character pays off for a lifetime.
6 questions to ask any program before you commit
- What will this cost for a full year, including travel?
- How many tournaments or competitions are required?
- What gear will need replacing as my child grows?
- What is the injury and concussion risk, and who is trained to respond?
- How many hours a week will this take from our family?
- Will my child grow in character, not just skill?
Download the full parent guide
Our 24 page guide, The Real Cost of Youth Activities, covers all 18 activities in detail, including every cost line, scholarship odds by sport, injury risks, and the benefits worth investing in.
Know the full price before you commit to the next season. Download The Real Cost of Youth Activities.
See character development in action
At Ko Martial Arts, character development is at the center of everything we teach. There is no competition team and no trophy chase. Every student is measured against who he or she was last month, not against the child standing beside them.
If you would like to see what that looks like for your child, book an Intro to KOMA at any of our three Johnson County locations.
Our locations
Ko Martial Arts, South Overland Park: 15030 Antioch Road, Overland Park, KS 66221, 913.851.2400
Ko Martial Arts, North Olathe: 21701 College Blvd, Olathe, KS 66061, 913.829.2929
Ko Martial Arts, Prairie Village: 5320 W 95th St Unit B107, Prairie Village, KS 66207, 913.228.0555
Sources: Aspen Institute Project Play National Youth Sports Parent Survey (2025); NCAA (2024 to 2025); High School RIO injury surveillance (2024 to 2025); National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research; American Academy of Pediatrics; Utah State University Families in Sport Lab; Aspen Institute State of Play Kansas City (2024). Costs are annual per child and vary by program and region.
