If you’re a parent of a sports-loving child, you know full well how expensive of a hobby it can be. For all the talk of the mental and physical cost of playing sports, the real cost for parents is the hefty price tag these sports can command when you have to buy all manner of different pads and other accouterments. Thankfully, not all youth sports are like that. Here are some of the most inexpensive youth sports.
Try Soccer
Aside from shin guards, soccer is quite affordable. The balls themselves don’t tend to cost very much, and it’s the kind of game you can play just about anywhere. Sure, there are leagues your child can join, but if you want to get them started for less, all you have to do is toss them a ball and see if they “get a kick” out of it.
Try Basketball
The same holds true for basketball. The pickup, play-where-you-are nature of the game has helped it expand far beyond North America’s shores, from Barcelona and Hamburg to Beijing and Hong Kong. What’s more, you don’t have to pay for all those pesky pads and helmets.
Try Track and Field
No pads, no helmets, and no need for significant expenditures. The sports which make up track and field can be played just about anywhere, given that they focus on running and jumping and other feats of incredible speed and endurance. What’s more, it can be easy to move up the different levels of track and field without having to spend a fortune. All in all, this is by far one of the most cost-effective ways of entering youth sports for kids and parents.
Try Baseball
Sure, modern baseball leagues can be costly, but that need not be the case. Kids did play stickball back in the day, after all, and many people in less-developed countries play the game with whatever they can find – and do so to star-making excellence.
Youth sports need not cost an arm and a leg. Sports like these can help you get your child into sports without exorbitant costs.