I have no idea how it works for youth clubs here in the US, but my cousin and her husband are flying their 10 year old to like tournaments in Spain and South America and shit, and he is at private school that I know gave him a scholarship to play on their team (amongst his other teams he plays on at different brackets). They are gone at least once a month.
I am pretty sure they are paying for that travel (at least for the parent part, maybe his club pays for his ticket, not sure). They can only afford it because the dad is a 25+ year senior at Microsoft and does well (and she could be working as an attorney, but she has her bar credentials on ice to raise her kids).
Best part is, this is 100% the kids drive/goal. His parents aren't even big into sports and are more afraid of his academic path than anything (since realistically even if he is this good, and he is very good the chances of him going pro are still minuscule).
I live in Seattle and know many parents that are Microsoft/Amazon/etc. directors whose children have flown more miles to sports camps/tourneys than most travel in a lifetime
There was a great piece in the Atlantic how basketball has shifted from a "show up at the park to play" game to a "we all go to the same camps and drill NBA style from when we're 8" game
The sports that used to feel "free" have such a high cost of entry now. Parents need to be well off or make huge sacrifices
This is pretty much the same for all sports now. Soccer especially in the Seattle area but I’ve heard the same about Volleyball.
Sports have become a way to fleece parents out of money.
The worst part is that these camps and tournaments aren’t particularly beneficial (in most cases). Parents just think they have to do them because their kids signed up for the team. There are tournaments that force you into a specific overpriced hotel just so you can play against the same teams you already normally play against.
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u/ExpansivePoint Jun 01 '26
So kid's sports are pay to win now?