To hate that so many sports are so expensive?

[SwumMum]

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?

Here's Adam Peaty asking for more funding for lower income families to access high performance sport

https://twitter.com/politicscoo_uk/status/1465651873638240259?s=21

I'm a swimmer. My racing cossie was £380!!

Did you get a TV with that?

@SkankingMopoke that's when we gave up gymnastics! The tracksuits and kit they mandated for the move up came to more than a weekend away as a family...

Do you pay an annual fee for swimming too? Or just your monthly costs? The top squad in our club are going to be paying £100/month plus £200/year before gala, race and kit fees or transport costs.

@whitehorsesdonotlie
Yes, well international.
I'm embarrassed to say I don't know why they're so expensive. Material probably, maybe the stitching. Makes me feel good though and probably shaves 0.01 seconds off 😂

@arethereanyleftatall

I'm a swimmer. My racing cossie was £380!!

Is it made of gold thread??!

Top squad at my swim club pays £125 / month.

Gala fees and trips to meets (hotels etc) on top

Swim skins at least £250 each and you need several a year of doing a number of galas.

I stop counting how much it all costs - probably a second mortgage

I live in an area of london that is classed as a socioeconomically deprived area, all extracurricular activities are beyond the means of most families here. Those children that could benefit most from these activities are not able to attend and it breaks my heart.

British rowing are pushing very hard for greater diversity and inclusion. Many clubs have outreach programmes to accommodate those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This comes in the form of massively reduced subs, free kit, transport costs etc.

Nobody needs a £380 swimsuit though. If you can afford it and enjoy it lovely, but you could swim without it. (A different one, not none at all!)

@LosingTheWill2

I live in an area of london that is classed as a socioeconomically deprived area, all extracurricular activities are beyond the means of most families here. Those children that could benefit most from these activities are not able to attend and it breaks my heart.

Absolutely agree with this. The kids who could really do with the structure of a sports team/club are the kids who usually can’t access them because of money.

Team sports are generally cheaper.

Thankfully my youngest ditched dancing & gymnastics and switched to Cheer. So much cheaper. One outfit and the club keeps it for at least 2 years and helps sell on 2nd hand. Generally they are cost conscious and try to keep it as affordable as possible and run a recreational team as well competitive ones.

Hockey has been ok too.

@Gearedtoyou

Nobody needs a £380 swimsuit though. If you can afford it and enjoy it lovely, but you could swim without it. (A different one, not none at all!)

The English Winter Nationals are currently on - 1600 swimmers aged 13 up

Pretty much every swimmer (female) is wearing a skin that costs between £250 - £500 at it.

Male swim skins slightly cheaper

@DillonPanthersTexas

I live in an area of london that is classed as a socioeconomically deprived area, all extracurricular activities are beyond the means of most families here. Those children that could benefit most from these activities are not able to attend and it breaks my heart.

British rowing are pushing very hard for greater diversity and inclusion. Many clubs have outreach programmes to accommodate those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This comes in the form of massively reduced subs, free kit, transport costs etc.

..and equally many don't. I don't know of any sports club that does any such program.

Competitive Sport is now for the wealthy.

My DD was into running and cycling, even pre pandemic/brexit it was insane, now the costs have doubled, esp as import costs for stuff from europe has increased or they no longer ship.

Nobody needs a £380 swimsuit though. If you can afford it and enjoy it lovely, but you could swim without it.
You do of you want to be competitive. Even countries that have banned tech suits for juniors have only banned them for up to 12 year olds. They do make a difference.

@porseb I think I just need to accept that we are priced out of swimming. There's no way we could allow costs to spiral up to those figures.

@Gearedtoyou

Nobody needs a £380 swimsuit though. If you can afford it and enjoy it lovely, but you could swim without it. (A different one, not none at all!)

They don't, you're right; but at a national level, you'd stick out like a sore thumb without one. And that's the problem the op is referring to - sport, particularly high level - is utterly unaffordable for the vast majority.

[quote SwumMum]@porseb I think I just need to accept that we are priced out of swimming. There's no way we could allow costs to spiral up to those figures.[/quote]
I think it's credibly sad that competitive swimming has become such an expensive sport, pricing out many potential swimmers.

I also find it sad that swimming is a life skill but we don't seem to make it mandatory (and fund it) so that every child actually learns to swim.

*incredibly

It's not just the costs of the sport itself that limit participation; it's also the lifestyle required to get your child to training and competitions.
The only way my dd gets to compete and train in all the sports she does is because I have the 3 hours spare per day it takes to ferry her about.

You're right @Porseb - the half term of swim lessons DC get in ks2 is not going to get a non swimmer competent in the water. My dc tell me that the vast majority of DC in their classes at school are either non swimmers or unable to swim lengths confidently. This is a massive issue. With pool access and costs as they are, the issue isn't going to improve.

Yes @arethereanyleftatall I was already struggling with comprehending how so many in the club can not only pay the fees but also not have to be in work at training times to do so! Plus, journey times, plus competition travel and accommodation, plus reliable transport and fuel. It's hugely excluding and I don't hear enough at policy level about combating any of it.

I teach school swimming in both an affluent town and a not-so affluent town. The difference is massive. When we're grouping the year 5s in the affluent town we normally have 3 groups of 10ish children- 1. club, 2. stage 6ish, 3. stage 2ish. The not so affluent towns 3 groups - 1. stage 2, 2. never had lessons 3. Never been in a body of water in their whole life.

It gets more expensive if you're good. My ds has, to be brutally frank, more enthusiasm and persistence than skill at his favourite sport (athletics). At his level therefore the costs are pretty moderate - I would say about 350 a year all in spread across the year - track fees, club membership, spikes, trainers, race entry fees. He's worn the same second hand race singlet for 5 years.

No doubt if he had serious talent but no money, the club would probably help out a bit more. Having a shameless attitude towards asking for help or money, plus middle class entitlement, has helped me along the way.

Yep I would love for my children to do just one club each however it's just too expensive, football was £60 a month I don't have that x4 a month and then the kit and boots etc on top!!

@arethereanyleftatall that's just it in a nutshell. So sad and unfair.

@justanothermanicmonday21 that is so expensive compared to what some here pay for football!