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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To hate that so many sports are so expensive?

213 replies

SwumMum · 03/12/2021 20:16

DC had swimming lessons through a local competitive club from tiny. Almost without any real thought they've just stayed with the club, entering squads and taking part in galas and competitions. They are not in any way exceptional for their ages and whilst they enjoy it, they have no intention of competing in a more serious way.

The fees have ramped up slowly over the years, with occasional shocks such as an expensive gala or a particular piece of kit that had to be bought. We have just absorbed these costs but when we didn't have to pay through lockdowns we really noticed how much better off we were.

The club have now announced a 90% increase in membership fees that will be taken as a lump sum, plus an increase in fees per month too. This amounts to hundreds of pounds extra and we just can't pay. Along with lots of other families, we will have to leave the club and, due to a lack of local options, the kids will stop swimming.

We had a similar experience with gymnastics many years ago - the fees and kit costs were just an ever upward trend, out of all proportion to the benefit or enjoyment the kids got from it.

I work with someone who has a DD who plays tennis competitively and they fund the cost of training and competitions with a holiday home they rent out, and say there's just no way they could do it if they hadn't inherited the property when they did.

There seems to be such a financial barrier to accessing sports - there are so few pools and leisure centres where we live. No schools have really good sports provision and to pay for private clubs is prohibitive to all but the most wealthy.

AIBU to hate that for so many DC, sport is out of the question because of cost?

OP posts:
batmanladybird · 03/12/2021 20:23

Yanbu

Hunderland · 03/12/2021 20:24

Yes. DS is rowing at university, kit is eye wateringly expensive Shock

batmanladybird · 03/12/2021 20:25

We never got involved in galas etc but yes to expensive swimming lessons from tiny

Gymnastics also equally 💰💰💰💰and match on top club fees and additional training sessions in the hope you might make a squad for a tournament for my ds team sport

I feel
You

Postdatedpandemic · 03/12/2021 20:25

Just wait until they start deep sea diving.

chickenpie1984 · 03/12/2021 20:29

I've not noticed it where I am. Dc swims with a club (3times per week plus a land training session) and we pay £32 per month. Galas are extra and optimal but usually not more than £10. Previously she had swimming lessons through a council swimming pool at £19 per month.

HunterGatherer · 03/12/2021 20:30

See DS1 has always rowed and I think its exceptional value, at his club fees are just £80 per year for juniors and that includes 3 sessions a week. The only extra is the leotard thingy Grin which is about £60 but the club has second hand ones. Given that the boats cost upwards of £10k, I think its very reasonable.
Music lessons and horse riding are eye watering!
Cadets (Army/Navy/Sea) are exceptional value.

Original poster
SwumMum · 03/12/2021 20:30

It just seems such a clear division in opportunity. There is an over representation (compared to the overall numbers) of children from independent schools at all the clubs and activities my dc have ever been involved in and these price hikes will further entrench that.

So as a country we're not nurturing talent or encouraging participation and enjoyment in a variety of sports for all children. We're making it a completely inaccessible luxury.

Seems nuts.

OP posts:
Gearedtoyou · 03/12/2021 20:31

I don't know. Is sport that expensive, relatively speaking. It's certainly expensive, but compared to other "leisure" activities?

I went to the cinema this week, almost £20 each. 4 of us for bowling at the weekend £60. And I've been looking at a show that DS2 wants to go to over Christmas, tickets £40-£120. Each!

Original poster
SwumMum · 03/12/2021 20:33

Wow @chickenpie1984! Do you pay annual fees to cover Swim England memberships?

Our monthly fee is more than double yours plus an annual fee in 3 figures (per child)

OP posts:
Original poster
SwumMum · 03/12/2021 20:37

Yes maybe @Gearedtoyou. Maybe I'm just being priced out of leisure pursuits!

We both work, but we have to run 2 cars to do so. We have a house but with a big mortgage and we pay for all our childcare. We're definitely doing well compared to many but can't afford what stuff costs. Goodness only knows what that means for those with more challenges. An ever widening social divide I guess.

OP posts:
DelurkingAJ · 03/12/2021 20:37

Cricket is cheap and cheerful at the moment. Local village club £40 for whole summer, match fees c£2. Local town club with serious facilities £50 for the whole summer. But the hard ball kit isn’t cheap…but that can be borrowed at junior levels. And inherited from older kids.

Gearedtoyou · 03/12/2021 20:38

I belong to a running club. It costs me £10 a year plus trainers. That's it.

BeardieWeirdie · 03/12/2021 20:38

My six-year-old has recently started rugby and loves it. She’d been going for a couple of weeks and I said to the coach that I hadn’t heard anything about subs etc and what did I owe them - nothing, it’s completely free. Free shirts, free coaching and a hot dog on match days. They proudly told me that they’re a club and do it for love, they’re not a business like gymnastics.

nancy75 · 03/12/2021 20:39

I work in tennis and can give you some idea of why it costs what it does.
Tennis coaches have to constantly keep points updated to be licensed, doing courses which they have to pay for.
Most are self employed and money is dependant on the weather.
If you run a club costs are high, new bulb for a floodlight -£200, not too bad if you’ve got 1, a bit more painful when you’ve got 25 floodlights. Insurance, astronomical.
LTA membership expensive.
Court maintenance - just a never ending blank cheque.
Recently we had 3 courts resurfaced -£65k, court cleaning (twice a year)£2k. The list goes on & on.

Clubs can’t afford to make it cheaper, we need governments that recognise the benefit of sport for children & invest accordingly.

nancy75 · 03/12/2021 20:42

@BeardieWeirdie

My six-year-old has recently started rugby and loves it. She’d been going for a couple of weeks and I said to the coach that I hadn’t heard anything about subs etc and what did I owe them - nothing, it’s completely free. Free shirts, free coaching and a hot dog on match days. They proudly told me that they’re a club and do it for love, they’re not a business like gymnastics.
Someone must pay something? If not how are they insured? Who maintains the grounds? How does the coach live without wages?
Original poster
SwumMum · 03/12/2021 20:42

@nancy75 I completely agree. I think one of the big issues is massive underinvestment in facilities. We have never ending housing developments being built here with next to no provision of sports facilities. Swimming pools are like hens teeth and grotty, unless you can pay for private clubs like David Lloyd.

OP posts:
TimeForTeaAndG · 03/12/2021 20:44

How are they justifying a 90% increase?! That's ridiculous!

I added up DD's skate fees/competition entries/coach fees for a year. Then I put my eyeballs back in my head and promptly stopped thinking about it.

Original poster
SwumMum · 03/12/2021 20:44

@DelurkingAJ that's interesting about cricket. It always seems quite a 'posh' sport so I assumed it would be pricey too.

We don't have a local club but there are some around, will look into it.

OP posts:
Original poster
SwumMum · 03/12/2021 20:46

@TimeForTeaAndG They haven't been overly transparent but reasons, covid.

I employed your method prior to this and we came this far but I think it has its limits as a strategy.

OP posts:
Pinkmagic1 · 03/12/2021 20:46

My dd plays for a local football team. I pay £20 a month and that includes a weekly training session, plus a match most weeks during the season. There is an additional £30 fee once a year to register with the FA and all kit is free and supplied by the club. I think it is excellent value.
I do know some sports and activities can be crippling expensive though, to the degree that they exclude many children.

Original poster
SwumMum · 03/12/2021 20:47

@beardieweirdie that sounds nice, but surely not sustainable unless all sponsored by a benefactor for example? Free kit just isn't possible?

OP posts:
nancy75 · 03/12/2021 20:47

@SwumMum yes council facilities are mostly awful.
I live in a well off London borough, our council pool is disgusting & really only fit to be knocked down. It’s walking distance to a lot of local schools and could be an excellent resource for local children but no, no money for that. We do have exceptionally nice flowers & plants all around the borough though...🙄

randomsabreuse · 03/12/2021 20:49

Clubs that don't have "infrastructure" costs can be cheap - so a road only running club just has to pay insurance through the governing body.

Gymnastics needs a tonne of kit, and insurance will be £££.

Swimming Pools cost £££ to run too - passed on through hire costs.

On other countries (France, Italy, Germany) the infrastructure costs are sponsored by regions and local businesses rather than being expected to self fund.

NuffSaidSam · 03/12/2021 20:49

YANBU and it doesn't just impact kids, adult too. If you're on a low income so ma y sports are completely inaccessible. I don't know what the solution is though (government investment?) because obviously the coaches etc. have to live too and stuff is expensive!

arethereanyleftatall · 03/12/2021 20:49

Yanbu.

Unfortunately to compete at a high level (olympics type) you need money.
'The best of the best' are actually 'the best of the 1% of people who could afford this.'

I'm not sure there's any way around it though. Take swimming, the upkeep of a pool is in to the 100s of thousands annually. It needs to be paid for.

Round my way, football is the one exception. Bonkers cheap compared to all other sports.

Even running you need new £100 trainers every month or so if you're doing a lot.