Carrying the Financial Burden of Select Sports
Select sports have incredible benefits for your athlete. But, it’s no secret that it’s a huge investment, not only in terms of finances, but also in terms of time and commitment. We’ve come up with a list of pros and cons to help you make the right decision for your family needs.
Pros
With the financial commitment of select sports comes the focused attention for your athlete. You get what you pay for, in other words. Select sports are designed to give your child the best chance at excelling in their sport. The additional practice time and attention to techniques will help them learn more and advance in their level of athleticism.
In addition to the personalized attention, your child has a greater chance of recruitment by college programs. From football to soccer, and all other sports, select sports allows scouts to identify the best players and the players with the most dedication to achieving goals and making it to the next level.
While paying for select sports can seem daunting, the scholarships that are, often, presented to select players is a nice return on investment.
With more personalized attention comes a higher level of competition. Each player in select sports has elite training that makes the competition that much greater. This level of competition pushes players out of their comfort zone and encourages them to work hard, commit, and excel in their sport.
Cons
The major concerns for parents considering select sports is the financial investment. From equipment to tournaments, dues to extra fees, there’s a lot of money involved. A recent study by TD Ameritrade found that parents are paying around $500 per month per child on select sports that are non-school organized. For high level competitive and elite teams, parents are paying $1000 per month.
This financial commitment can put an enormous amount of pressure on your family dynamic. Not only do you feel the pressure, but your kids do too. Most kids understand the financial investment, either because you’re constantly reminding them or because they know how select sports work. Knowing the sacrifice you’re making for them can get the best of them and become overbearing.
In addition to the financial aspect, select sports require a time commitment. It’s crucial that you have an open schedule to accommodate the requirements of select sports. From traveling on the weekends to playing multiple tournaments and, of course, practices, your athlete will invest a large amount of time for scheduled practices and games in addition to their personal practice times at home.
Select sports are not meant for every athlete and that’s okay. In fact, where one of your children might excel in select sports, your other children might not. Find what works best for each of them, what works best for your family dynamic, and help your children work hard and commit to whatever program they choose.