My Kids' Youth Sports Bills Are Soaring. Here's How I'm Scrounging Up the Cash

It started with my daughter, whose passion for soccer drove her to try out for a travel team. My son followed suit soon after, joining a travel team for his age group. And most recently, my other daughter decided that after a season of rec basketball, she wanted to sign up for the more time-consuming and expensive travel league. 

Managing my kids' sports schedules could be a full-time job by itself. And that's unfortunate, because when you add up the cost of their various sports, you pretty much need a second full-time job to pay for it all. 

From league dues to uniforms to coaching fees, the cost of my kids' sports has definitely put a strain on our personal finances. Oh, and let's not forget the out-of-state tournaments we sometimes have to travel to. Those cost extra. 

The Aspen Institute's State of Play 2022 report finds that the typical family pays $883 per year to cover the cost of one child's primary sport. I'll be transparent and say that on a per-child basis, I'm paying way more than that for soccer, but slightly less for basketball. But those numbers don't include tournaments, which are hard to say no to. 

Either way, it's not so easy to cover these costs on top of my many other child-related expenses, like summer camp (something that's required in my household since my spouse and I both work full-time), non-sports activities, food, clothing, and general stuff kids tend to need. I've had to make some changes to cope with those sports bills. Here's what I'm doing so far.

1. I'm cooking more

Cutting back on takeout is something I've been wanting to do for a while not just for the savings, but for the health benefits. But I'll say that cutting my food bills has helped free up money in my checking account for these various sports expenses. 

To really maximize my savings by cooking, I've done two things. First, I've gotten on board with meal planning. I used to mostly wing it and decide what to cook on a day-to-day basis. But now, I tend to make larger batches of food over the weekend and serve leftovers for days. 

I've also made meal planning more of a family thing, as opposed to an individual thing, to get everyone's buy-in. That way, my kids can't picky-eater their way out of consuming what I've prepared. 

2. I'm not being shy about getting hand-me-downs

The frustrating thing about buying kids' sporting gear is that they tend to outgrow it quickly. So some of the things you purchase might only last a single season. 

That's why I've made a point to ask for and use hand-me-down gear. This season, my son is wearing a teammate's outgrown cleats on the field, while my daughter is using cleats my son wore a couple of seasons ago. And I have no problem perpetuating this cycle of hand-me-downs if it saves me from having to make extra purchases. 

3. I'm working more than I wanted to

Late last year, I wrote about how I expected a decrease in income in 2024. I still expect to earn less this year than in 2023. But I did take on more work than expected during the first three months of the year so I could earn a bit more and cover my youth sports bills more comfortably. 

Funny enough, a big reason I expect to earn less this year is that I'm so busy with child sporting events that I don't anticipate having as many working hours as I did in the past. But still, I may have to compromise by, say, bringing my laptop along to a soccer match and trying to do some work in between plays. It's not as leisurely as just being able to sit there and enjoy the game, but I'll do what I have to do. 

There's no question about it -- youth sports fees can be tremendous, and many parents risk landing in debt to cover those costs. If you're stressed about paying for youth sports, examine your budget to see if there are other expenses you can cut back on. And don't be shy about asking for used gear, as it could save you a nice amount of money. 

Finally, if need be, look to the gig economy to boost your earnings. It may not be easy to find the time for a side hustle when you're constantly running back and forth between the softball field and home. But growing your income even slightly could make paying for your kids' sports a lot less stressful.