So your kid wants to play hockey?

[Kuan]

Forget college savings plans.

Skates: $300
Pads: $250
Gloves: $75
Helmet: $150
Sticks (2): $250

Registration: $1000
Summer Camp: $1500
Travel and Food: $1500
Sponsorship: $1000 (to make sure your kid gets ice time)

Total: $6,025

[Zeus]

There's a beautiful outdoor rink just down the street from me. The city sets it up. Heated shack to lace up in, spotlights for the rink, and the rink itself is huge, with boards. The local kids flood it and maintain it, and generally do a really good job. There's also usually a game every night.

Perfect for junior in the future. I played tons of shinny as a kid, never did the league stuff. Great memories of playing under the stars at night, and when I was older, helping to run the rink, flooding it late at night, etc. No pads, no helmet, just gloves and a sweater. Good times!

You're right though, I see some hockey parents now and they're going mental with early morning practices, driving all over the place, etc. I sometimes wonder if the kids even enjoy it. As you mentioned, the costs are ridiculous. Don't even get me started on teaching the younger kids about how to hit and check... That's one of the things I loved about shinny - no hitting. It's all skill and handling, passing. Competitive league for 6-7 yr olds?

No thanks.

[G-Benz]

The equipment fees described preclude that your kid isn't a goalie!

Otherwise, the camp fees are more in line with what individual equipment costs will be!

But any club sport is expensive. Hockey probably the most due to equipment and rink fees.

My daughter is in club soccer (you would think not much gear involved there), and beyond the thousand-plus dollar dues and out-of state tournaments costs:

$180 cleats, (growing feet so this is yearly)
$50 indoor shoes (when outdoor season if over...also yearly)
$15 shin guards
$15 slider (worn under the shorts...some players like to pull shorts down as a distraction)
$20 sports bra (added cost of raising a girl)
$90 uniforms (home and away jerseys, shorts, and socks)
$75 warmups (sweat pants and jackets for winter events)
$25 practice jerseys (weekly practices)
$25 warmup jerseys (prior to the game)
$80 underarmor gear (must match the home and away jerseys) for winter wear...can't wear the warmups during the games
$30 soccer ball (every player must have one...all of them match)

[Kuan]

Man I'm glad that we have two city maintained rinks down a coupla blocks. We can go knock the puck around with the kids.

My nephew plays baseball, he has a $350 baseball bat.

G, come up here and play the USA cup.

[G-Benz]

Originally Posted by Kuan

G, come up here and play the USA cup.

Therein lies the problem...no guarantee that all that investment will yield a formidable soccer team!

While in past seasons a top-flite Division II team, all sorts of personal distrations have gotten them struggling at the bottom of the league this fall...

I think the USA cup is an invitational tournament, isn't it? Even at their best, our team ain't that good!

My dad who has been operating on professional and college athletes for more than 30 years tells me that I should limit my children to swimming.

[Hatterasguy]

Originally Posted by MedMech

My dad who has been operating on professional and college athletes for more than 30 years tells me that I should limit my children to swimming.

Tell me about it. My friend had back surgury at the age of 20 because of high school foot ball.

College sports are a joke, if you don't go pro all you have is a shot body and no degree.

[John Doe]

What is Hockey?

How about $11K for pre-K 4 y.o. kindergarten--just got the breakdown 20 minutes ago

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

College sports are a joke, if you don't go pro all you have is a shot body and no degree.

I'd like to see you tell my little brother that. To his face

[TX76513]

All the sports cost have gone completely out of site. I could have put two people through decent 4 year colleges on what I have spent on tennis in the last fourteen years

[Maroon 300D]

Forget about the cost of the hockey pads. It's the stench of them that will get you!

[Hatterasguy]

Originally Posted by John Doe

I'd like to see you tell my little brother that. To his face

Nah he can probably kick my a** because he played foot ball or something. Can I just email him?

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Nah he can probably kick my a** because he played foot ball or something. Can I just email him?

j/k (I don't know how big you are but he is 6'4", 235 and can bench 420 and squat 715). He has had to have two operations for injuries he sustained playing football at a Div I school--rebuilt kneecap and rebuilt ankle. He got his degree though, and is living your dream as far as business goes He creaks when he walks and is showing signs of arthritis, but plays rugby on a club team at age 30.

Team sports are a very important part of some people's education. You can get hurt doing anything--like driving a car. In my brother's case, he wouldn't have traded his sports for the world despite the injuries.

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by MedMech

My dad who has been operating on professional and college athletes for more than 30 years tells me that I should limit my children to swimming.

You better thank your lucky monthly draws that he doesn't tell everyone that

[Hatterasguy]

Well I'm a bit shorter and weigh 200, I can bench 200-250 depending on when I try. So anyway I made my statement because I just saw some stats about foot ball players at my school. I think only about 20%-25% get a degree. I know from personal experiance they don't go to class much, and some how pass with decent grades...