Hawkaholic
Registered User
It is very surprising to hear and is really disappointing. Do you know if it is growing nationwide in Canada or are the trends in your area a nationwide issue? I know there are programs in the US that help make the game more affordable and that has caused the game to really grow here. I assume there are programs like this in Canada?
I know my parents costs for me to play were very high due to the program, travel, and the fact that I was a growing goalie who needed gear each year.
I feel like the cost of gear has doubled in the past 7-10 years.
I believe basketball took over as the most popular sport among youths this past year. I can't speak for other cities or towns in Canada, but I would imagine the asme trend would apply there as in my old town.
The programs are kind of dumb, and I would not qualify. You have to make less than 37k a year to qualify with a family of 4. I make 52k, my wife is a stay at home mom, and we barely get by with a house and a newer vehicle. Hockey is the last thing on my to do list for my kids, as it would cost a thousand dollars just to see him flop around on the ice his first year. I'm not worried about costs in the early years, more about the costs when he likes it, potentially gets good at it, and it costs an arm and a leg that I can't afford.
My experience:
What I'm trying to say here is that baseball, golf, and soccer aren't cheap either. The startup costs are definitely higher for hockey, but if your kid is reasonably above average in any of those other sports the costs will start adding up quickly as well. Travel sports used to be about playing better competition. Now I think it's just more of a status thing, unless you're talking about the truly elite kids/teams where they can only be challenged by playing the best from another area.
P.S. - Regarding equipment, I've found costs to be very manageable by buying everything on clearance. My son knows he's not getting the latest stick. These are healthy/good conversations to have with your kids about the value of a dollar.
Not in Canada. Baseball is really cheap to sign up for, half the cost of hockey. You don't need to buy a bat, just a glove (max 50$), and some cleats ($50). You drive around, but not too far, 50km radius. Basketball is even cheaper than that, as is soccer. Even golf was cheaper, my boss and his son play all the time, and his son is starting to get competitve with it, he said it was cheaper for him to golf than to play hockey last year, and his son isn't really at that high of a level in hockey.
I understand you can buy used, and that's what I would do. But what do I tell him when he potentially becomes a really good hockey player and Dad can't afford to put him in hockey anymore, so he has to play with all the bums in house league.
Yeah, I'm just letting my son gravitate towards what he wants to do, with a little bit of guidance. I am thinking about guitar lessons, drum lessons, karate, and maybe baseball in the summer just because he seems to really like it more than any other sport.Maybe it's just something I can't understand since I'm not a parent but I don't know what some of these parents are thinking. The chances of your kid making it at a pro in any sport are hilariously minuscule so what are you doing? Let them play park district, play as much as they want, and let them enjoy being a kid. It'll save everyone the pain in the ass and it'll save parents a lot of money.