SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Parents are feeling the pinch as costs for youth sports climb, with families spending far more on registration, gear, lessons and travel than they did five years ago.
Data from the Aspen Institute's Project Play shows over the last five years, families are spending 46% more on youth sports, with some households spending as much as $25,000 a year on registration, uniforms, gear, lessons, and travel costs for tournaments.
Sergio Paz said he only realized how expensive youth sports could be after his son Issac developed a love for baseball. When his son started in T-ball, Paz said, costs were manageable.
"T-ball is like $60 bat, $30 glove, no big deal,” he said.
But as his son got older, Paz said the price of equipment rose sharply.
“This bat right here we bought in January, December. It's about 500 bucks. It's the Hype Fire, right? You know, all the kids love it. It's a real good bat; we bought it for Little League. He outgrew that one once the season was over, and now I'm already looking for next year, looking for another bat, and this bat doesn't even have six months in it,” said Paz.
To recoup some costs, Paz said he uses social media to sell his son's outgrown equipment.
"I'll probably have them up for a week or two and you know, I'll get rid of them. So that's good, but obviously I'm selling it so dirt cheap,” said Paz.
Stores that buy and resell used sporting goods are one option for families looking to lower costs. Play It Again Sports buys used equipment, offers store credit and discounts on resale items, and allows customers to rent gear.
Manager Justin Wesley said, “We take a look at the item, we assess it, see what it sells for, and then you get a percentage of what we price the item at, and then you get a cash value and then the store credit offer, and the store credit offer is higher than the cash value.”
"So, a bat that retails for about $200 you can probably get it for about $100; it incentivizes people to shop here,” Wesley added.
Play It Again Sports also offers short-term rentals for tournament play.
Wesley said, "Say, for instance, you're going to a tournament, and you want a bat. So, they pay full price for the bat and then however long they have it -- say they have it for three days -- we take 15% of what they pay for the item, and they get the rest back."
Resale, store credit incentives and rentals are helping more kids participate in youth sports while keeping families within a budget.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
