Extracurricular activities are important for kids growing up, but they shouldn’t put parents into debt. Every parent wants to see their children get involved and learn valuable life lessons from sports, music lessons, or another extracurricular activity. We know that these activities can help kids build communication skills, learn to work on a team, and set them up for a more physically active, healthy lifestyle -- but these activities can be costly.
So, let’s take a look at what we’ll discuss in this article to keep you from going broke while your kids participate in sports:
The Surprising Stats About Debt and Sports Parents everywhere want their kids to get involved in sports and be the best that they can. That often leads them to spend a good bit of money on their child’s sport, or sports, of choice. With the cost of registration, uniforms, equipment, extra practice, and travel, these costs can start to add up quickly. Here are a few of the surprising stats around how much parents are spending on sports for their kids and how it is putting many parents into debt.
Why are parents letting their child’s sports put them into debt? Because 81 percent of parents believe that their child will eventually make money or have a career in their respective sport. But in reality, only a small portion of people make their hobby an actual career. If you look at students in middle and high school, it’s been shown that 18 percent don’t participate in any activities -- a number that is even smaller in lower-income families. Many kids are held back from learning the skills and getting physical activity because of these high costs, but how high are they really? Many kids who are in middle school or high school miss out on being apart of a team and making new friends through sports because their parents can’t afford it. Understanding the Average Cost of Club and Travel Sports any children who are very involved in their spots participate in club and travel sporting options. These are more demanding than just a typical seasonal sporting team and can require parents to fork out even more for participation. But, knowing that 81 percent of parents believe that their child will go on to make money in their sport, it’s very likely they are encouraging kids to participate at this level. Let’s take a quick look at the average cost for some of these sports teams. These costs consider the cost of registration fees, equipment, and uniforms. They also take into account some of the expenses that come with travel teams -- but that all depends on where you will be traveling with your team. Here’s the average cost for each of these teams:
Keep in mind that this is the cost for one child. Imagine if you had multiple children involved in these sports or a child that participates in more than one activity. It’s much easier to see how sports can put parents into debt. But we’re here to tell you that your children can participate in sports without having to go into debt. We have a few different ways to save you money while letting your children still benefit from playing sports. Pick One Sport and Stick to it Let’s start with the big one. We all know how hard it can be to say no to your kids, but in some cases, it’s the only option to keep you from drowning in debt. If you have multiple children participating on numerous sports teams, you’re going to start racking up a pretty hefty bill. So, have your kids pick one sport they like the most and stick with that. It will save you time running from one sport to the next and money by only having to pay one registration and equipment fee for one sport. By volunteering to coach the team you may be offered a discount on registration fees, another way to save some money -- something to consider! Don’t Miss Early Registration Deadlines Most sports programs will give offer a discount for registering for the season early. This means, the longer you wait, the more expensive the season will get for your child. It’s such a simple way to save, yet many parents lose track of time and find themselves paying a premium to get their child on a team. Don’t set yourself up for failure! Make sure to take advantage of this simple cost-saving step. If you need to, set a reminder on your phone or circle the deadline on your calendar to act as a reminder to get your kids registered. In addition to early registration fees, if your child plays year-round sports, it’s possible to receive a discount for paying the year in full. Now, this may not be an option for some families, but if you can plan ahead to save a little extra leading up to the start of the season, it could pay off in the long run. Get Involved In Community Centers and YMCAsMany local community centers and YMCAs have options for kids to get involved in sports for a minimal, or no cost. These are great options, especially for children who are just starting out and trying to find the sport that they like the most. Taking advantage of these sporting options will help you save a ton of money and allow your children to stay physically active, make friends, and learn all of those great life skills from sports that may cost thousands of dollars. Use Hand-Me-Down or Discounted Equipment For sports that require equipment (let’s be honest, they all do) one way to save is to find a way to avoid purchasing brand new equipment. Do you have a niece or nephew, or even a neighbor who grew out of their hockey stick or has an old basketball you can use? This is a great way to save a ton of money on equipment costs. If everyone you know has gotten rid of their old equipment, don’t worry, there are other options out there. Many thrift stores and even equipment resale stores exist and have used the equipment available at a lower price. Don’t forget, every penny helps! So even if you’re only paying $15 or $20 less, it adds up quickly. Equipment can get very costly, but why waste money purchasing new when there are plenty of slightly used options out there? They are just going to get dirty and worn out anyhow. Cut Cost, Stay Out of DebtSo there you have it. These are just a few ways to help save money while still getting your children involved in sports and extracurricular activities. Don’t find yourself swimming in debt just to make sure your kids are involved in a sport, be smart about it and find ways to cut costs wherever you can. Allan Flott is a former collegiate and professional soccer player who believes in the powerful role that sports play in helping children develop confidence and a strong sense of self. After his playing career, he applied his passion for youth sports to coaching children’s soccer, but was unsatisfied with the early education programming he encountered and wanted to create something better. So in 2016, he launched The Players Sports Academy to provide “service through sports” by creating healthy, fun and organized sports programs for kids.
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So you’ve thrown in the towel and retired your jersey, what’s next?  You’re moving on from the days of waking up bright and early to hit the gym or get to practice and you’re looking for a new career option. But before this, you’ve dedicated so much to your sport you never even stopped to consider what other career options are out there for you. Well, no worries, we have you covered! In this article, we are going to discuss the 5 best career options for former athletes. Now, of course, these are not the only career options out there, but they are a few that will meet you skillsets best. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’re about to read:
 What You Have to Bring to the Table First off, let’s start with talking about what you, as a former athlete have to bring to a new employer. These are some of the things you’ll want to keep in mind when your deciding which career path fits your skills best, and some helpful tips for interviewing. Sports offer a number of valuable life lessons and skills that you can apply to your new career. A few of these top skills, and skills that employers look for in potential candidates include: Teamwork Communication Time management Coachability Critical thinking Result-oriented Accountability Strong worth ethic Surely, you feel that your athletic career has prepared you with many, if not all of the skills. Just think how all of those skills we just listed look to a recruiter -- sounds like a jackpot to us! As we look into each career path, we’ll point out some of these skills that will help you excel in that job role. While you read through them, it should help you to narrow in on exactly which job sounds like your next career move. 1. Sales Representative  Sales representatives are responsible for selling products or services to customers. Depending on the specific job, they could be selling directly to customers, businesses, organizations, or both. In a sales role, you will likely hear no from potential customers -- but don’t let that deter you. Your strong work ethic, result-driven, and accountability will drive you to get back out there and make the sale. The more you turn that no into a motivator, the more commission you can make and find yourself in a good financial position. As a sales representative, you’ll be tasked with building relationships and selling products to clients to aid in your company’s growth. 2. Franchise Owner  A franchise owner is someone who runs one division of an existing company. There are tons of franchise opportunities out there -- from restaurants to fitness centers, you can choose what fits best for you. Even more exciting for former athletes, kids sports franchises are popping up all over the place. Your goal as a franchiser will be to follow the business plan of the company you franchise and make your location profitable. As a former athlete, you can easily do this with your coachability and learning to follow the playbook set by your coaches -- its a similar concept as the franchise instructions. Additionally, your grit and determination are what will push you to make your location the most profitable franchise out there. If this sounds exciting, it might just be the right career path for you! If not, keep reading to find your perfect fit. As a franchise owner, the first day you open your business to customers will be the first day of your new life journey! 3. Project Manager A project manager is responsible for overseeing the moving parts of projects and departments within a company to ensure the job is completed on time and on budget. Nearly every company has some form of a project manager, meaning you can get involved in a variety of different industries. If you have an interest in health care, computer science, architecture, or anything in between you can find a company to work as a project manager in. If you’re interested in becoming a project manager, here are the skills that will transfer over from your former athletic career. First, being a team player is a huge part of project management. You need to work with multiple people and departments to accomplish one goal -- does this sound familiar to you? Another skill you will find yourself using is critical thinking and knowing how to delegate tasks. If a curveball comes up mid-project, you need to quickly come up with a solution and get your team members on board with the new steps. Delegating tasks and knowing which teammates can perform these tasks is your new job responsibility.  You’ll manage all kinds of projects and teams as a project manager. Just make sure you’re getting everything done on schedule -- but with your background, we don’t expect that to be an issue. 4. Teacher Now, you’re probably pretty familiar with what a teacher does. As a teacher, you’ll be responsible for helping kids, young and teens, learn and mature into an adult. Wondering why this career made our list? Think of all the teachers and coaches you had that got you to where you are now, do you want to influence students the way they influenced you? As for the skills that make you a good candidate you have great communication skills to get through to students. Your strong worth ethic will also show through when you go above and beyond to help your students learn. Lastly, you’ve spent the last part of your career prepping for games, so you’re more than qualified to prep for the next class.  Whether you are working with kindergarteners or high school students, you’ll enjoy teaching them and watching them grow into adults. 5. Physical Therapist Physical therapists are healthcare professionals that help patients prevent and rehabilitate sports-related injuries. Physical therapy is a great career opportunity because you have seen these all of this first hand, you were the patient at one point. This job role will also allow you to stay close to what you love -- sports. There are physical therapists at all levels. From high school sports to pro athletes, someone needs to be available if an injury occurs. Other than already having an athletic background, your critical thinking will also be a very helpful skill. In the moment when a physical therapist is called into action, can be a high-stress time. Staying calm and knowing what to do will make all the difference.  As a physical therapist, you’ll spend time with athletes to ensure they are proactively avoiding injuries, and you’ll be the first response when one happens.
What Career Path Will You Take? So, did you find one of these five career options interesting? As you can see, the skills you have learned through your athletic career are in high demand for job roles across a variety of industries. Just because your athletic career is over doesn’t mean you have to stop loving what you do! Allan Flott is a former collegiate and professional soccer player who believes in the powerful role that sports play in helping children develop confidence and a strong sense of self. After his playing career, he applied his passion for youth sports to coaching children’s soccer, but was unsatisfied with the early education programming he encountered and wanted to create something better. So in 2016, he launched The Players Sports Academy to provide “service through sports” by creating healthy, fun and organized sports programs for kids. |
AuthorAllan Flott is a former collegiate and professional soccer player who believes in the powerful role that sports play in helping children develop confidence and a strong sense of self. After his playing career, he applied his passion for youth sports to start The Players Sports Acadmey. ArchivesCategories |
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