Everyone knows children are expensive. If your kids take part in athletics, expenses can climb quickly.
Beyond registration or team dues, you’ll also need to outfit your son or daughter with appropriate gear. Unless your child is a casual runner, most sports demand quite a bit of equipment you’ll have to buy.
For instance, my 11-year-old daughter plays on a travel soccer squad. She needs outdoor cleats and a different pair for the indoor season. She also requires shin guards and socks that reach over them, plus a couple of practice soccer balls.
Because she’s on a team, she needed a uniform that cost roughly $75 and, if we’re fortunate, will last a couple of years. We also splurged on a special backpack to hold all her equipment as a birthday gift (another $75), and picked up a used full-size goal for $50 so she could work on her shooting at home.
That’s just one sport — and soccer is relatively light on individual gear. Children in sports such as baseball or hockey often need considerably more equipment: bats, gloves, helmets, and a bag to haul it all — you get the idea.
Plus, kids grow fast, which means you may need to replace items with larger sizes each season.
8 Practical Ways to Cut Costs on Your Kids’ Sporting Gear
Worried about sticking to a tight budget while getting your child ready for the season? Here are eight strategies to reduce the cost of your kids’ sports equipment:
1. See What Your Child’s League Offers
My daughter’s soccer league maintains a section on its site where parents can list gear for sale. It’s a handy way to recoup some cash from items your child has outgrown and a prime spot to find bargains on pre-owned gear.
2. Ask Friends and Family
Put a request on Facebook for a baseball helmet for your son, and you might be amazed at how many friends, relatives, or neighbors have equipment they’re willing to give away or sell cheaply.
Many households have athletic gear stashed in basements or garages that they don’t use anymore — you could be the one to take it off their hands.
3. Coordinate With Other Parents
For sports that require a lot of expendable items like tennis balls, consider having one parent buy in bulk. Then divide the supplies (and the cost) among the participating families.
4. Hunt Yard Sales and Garage Sales
If your child is new to a sport, brand-new gear isn’t necessary. Watch for local rummage sales, yard sales and garage sales to find used equipment such as bats, balls, and gloves.
At a recent rummage sale I attended, a family was selling a whole box of baseballs and softballs for $0.05 each. That was an ideal find for anybody with kids in baseball or softball.
5. Shop Secondhand Sports Stores
Specialty resale and consignment shops that focus on athletic equipment can be excellent places to find used — and sometimes new — gear and apparel. They’re also useful when you want to sell items your child has outgrown and get some money back.
6. Visit Thrift Stores and General Consignment Shops
Many thrift stores receive donations from people clearing out their garages, so you might be able to find a glove that fits your child.
Don’t overlook typical consignment shops either. I once discovered a pair of cleats for my daughter at a consignment store for a fraction of the new price.
7. Browse Craigslist and Local Facebook Groups
Local Facebook resale groups have largely supplanted Craigslist as the preferred place to buy and sell items, including sporting goods.
If you haven’t joined a local Facebook group yet, find one and watch for athletic gear. You can also post what you need, and someone may have exactly what you’re after — often for far less than retail.
8. Question Whether Your Child Really Needs It
While not a tip for finding bargains, determining whether your child truly needs every piece of equipment right away can save a lot of money.
Check with your child’s coach to see if there are extra batting helmets or other gear the team provides for practices and games. This is especially helpful for kids just getting started. My daughter tried T-ball for a year before deciding it wasn’t for her. I’m glad we didn’t buy anything new — she used a glove I’d purchased at a rummage sale for her brother, who also only played for a single season.
Your Turn: How do you cut costs on your children’s sporting gear?
