For the 45 million children ages 6 through 16 currently participating in youth sports, many parents are having to reach deep into their pockets to cover the rising costs of equipment and sports-related activities.
In the United States, parents spend $671 on average per year to cover the costs of uniforms and the hefty fees charged for registration, lessons and coaching, and at least 1 in 5 ends up spending over $1,000 per child, every year. The result, according to TurboTax's most recent infographic, is that youth sports are no longer an excellent opportunity for social involvement determined by passion and skill, but by the family's financial resources, sustaining a $5 billion-a-year industry.
The graphic, titled The High Cost of Youth Sports, lists the most and least expensive organized sports, based on a survey of more than 1,000 parents with student athletes in grades 6 through 12, and offers several tips on how to keep youth sports expenses under control.
Here's the complete look at the costs of playing organized sports:
