Pay-to-Play Consequences

“‘Round off,’ ‘Shoot the ball,’ ‘Point your toes,’ ‘Home run,’ ‘Faster,’ ‘Be more aggressive.’” As individuals are exposed to sports as young children and grow up learning which sports they enjoy and which sports they do not enjoy, they become more invested and committed to the sports that they find passion for. Throughout my childhood, my parents put me through a cycle of different sports. After trying gymnastics, jujitsu, dance, T-ball, ice skating and maybe a few more, I found that I was passionate about soccer. From the age of four to eighteen, I have learned that being an athlete takes a large amount of commitment, especially as you get older. Commitment comes with the desire to constantly improve and better yourself as an athlete, meaning you need to be surrounded by others who will constantly challenge your game, mentally and physically. This highly competitive game throughout many sports comes with a cost. The expenses of elite sports include the traveling costs, club fees, uniforms, equipment, personal trainers, injuries, and more. The high cost of many sports marginalizes individuals and narrows high quality sports to players who are able to afford the expenses of these clubs, excluding those with the ability to compete at these high levels but with the inability to afford the costs. These costs limit marginalized individuals to low quality play and their exposure to collegiate and professional level sports. 

“To put that number into perspective, the average American salary is $56, 516 (CNBC). That means that the price to play in the ECNL is roughly 18% of one’s income. The astronomical prices shun top players away from elite leagues, hence, limiting their exposure to college coaches and professional teams” (The Academies).

College coaches and scouts typically turn to these elite clubs to provide high quality athletes, leaving talented athletes coming from low-income families unnoticed. It is easy to stick out at a level that you are comfortable playing at, while it is hard to continue to get better when one’s environment does not allow you to grow as a player. The cost of youth sports causes individuals to suffer the consequences of not being able to grow as a player, throwing their desire and compassion away because of the high costs of many sports as many low and middle-income families may struggle to afford. Although some parents may see these prices as an investment, and money that will return later when a youth sport becomes a profession or turns into a college scholarship, other parents do not have the luxury and finances to take the risk of their child not succeeding, facing a game changing injury, having a bad experience with a coach, not being able to travel and more. These expenses put pressure on parents to provide their child with multiple opportunities to succeed that can only be achieved through money. When a parent cannot afford to travel to another state across the country or pay for the overnight stay at an expensive hotel, that child misses out on the opportunity to be seen by coaches and show them what they are capable of. One would think that the high expenses of sports clubs would include the overnight stays and the travelling costs but the truth is that they do not. 

“Ultimately, the ‘pay-to-play’ structure of American soccer means that wealthy parents spend thousands of dollars on leagues and training programs [...] while many of the country’s greatest talents—most commonly in Hispanic communities—are left behind through economic inequity.[4] Not only is this system inherently unfair to the thousands of kids from lower-income families who have the potential to make a career out of the sport, but it has stunted the success of the American national teams” (Herrin). 

“We can’t afford it this year. They want the payments now and we can’t make it happen. We cannot manage the costs this year with the new house, the baby and your car.”

This “year off” put me at a disadvantage; not having a team to play with, not consistently getting touches on the ball, my fitness levels went down, I became unmotivated and started to doubt my ability. At that point, I wanted to give up and just let my future ride out without a soccer career in mind, as junior season was one of the most important seasons to get scouted. This drawback eventually became a comeback. I began to slowly fall back in love with the game as I began to train on my own. I started weight training, running more often, and keeping my footwork quick and controlled. I learned how to mentally strengthen myself and how to keep a positive mindset without the support of an entire team. I continued to train on my own until the start of high school pre season, I came back more confident than I had ever been and earned my position on the field. The feeling of confidence allowed me to find joy in the game and to truly have fun. Without this setback I do not think I would have become the player that I am today, as I have physically and mentally learned a lot through this experience. 

“From Little League to the ubiquitous suburban soccer field, youth sports in the U.S. have long been considered an important part of growing up. But the rising cost of playing sports, coupled with rising economic inequality, is increasingly leading poor and even middle-class families to hang up their cleats”

(Picchi).

The expenses of elite level sports narrows down the individuals that are able to participate on these types of teams, as they marginalize low and middle income families. These communities usually consist of Hispanic and African American families, which is why you do not typically see certain sports teams full of young minorities but more so a majority of white individuals with a few others of Hispanic or African American descent. It is least likely that these marginalized groups are able to consistently afford the high costs of elite sports that allow children to gain the exposure necessary to bring them to the next level. The expenses of elite sports pushes individuals to unwantedly quit regardless of their skill or talent within their sport. This causes talented athletes to miss out on big opportunities while allowing the world to let these potential athletes slip between the cracks. Ethnic minorities are not represented well enough within certain sports and many have yet to prove themselves due to the starting point of not being able to afford teams that will take them to the next level.

“A 2019 survey by the Aspen Institute, in conjunction with the Utah State University Families in Sports Lab, collected insights from 1,032 adults in all 50 states whose children played sports; parents whose kids did not play, or were forced to quit, were not represented. That helps explain why the average household income of respondents was $90,908. much higher than the U.S. average of $59,039. In 2015, about one in three parents (32%) from households making less than $50,000 a year told researchers that sports cost too much and make it difficult for their child to continue participating”

(The Aspen Institute Project Play). 

Coming from a middle-income, Hispanic family, and not exactly the wealthiest town, I felt out of place at the premiere level at times. I was constantly worried about whether my parents would be able to afford the travel expenses of going to a college showcase: renting hotels, buying apparel, going out to eat, plane tickets, gas money, renting cars and more. I felt that it was not something that all of the other girls on my team did not have to worry about-- as most of them came from rich white families, attended private or Catholic schools, lived in wealthy towns, and lived in large houses. Not being able to afford some of the travel costs meant that I missed out on certain tournaments and college showcases, lowering my chances of getting scouted and getting offers from college coaches. With my elite team, we took an annual trip to Arizona for a college showcase. I only had that opportunity one out of the three times it was given, while almost all of the other girls on my team got to travel with both their parents, and their siblings, all three years in a row. The one time I went to Arizona, I had to travel with one of my teammates and her father, as my parents could not afford to go and my mother also just had my little sister. 

“Nationwide, research from the Aspen Institute found that sports participation rates for white children exceed that of African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian children as many confront barriers such as pay-to-play fees, transportation issues, and equipment costs. In historically marginalized communities, the fields and play space that do exist is also often occupied by programs that do not serve local residents” (Gigante).

As wealthier families are able to provide their children with training outside of these elite clubs such as private sessions, individualized training, one on one training, and even personal trainers, marginalized individuals continue to be put at the disadvantage. Although some use this as a motive to get better on their own time and train even when they do not need to, others may not have the ability to do it on their own and to self motivate. It is also hard feeling as though you are a marginalized individual, as you miss out on certain opportunities, events and even team bonding due to the unaffordable extra expenses. Overall this creates tension in the player, within their family and puts pressure on marginalized individuals putting many at a mental and physical disadvantage. This puts pressure on marginalized individuals to better themselves without the support or help of resources outside of elite clubs. 

“Today, we have new insights into the challenges faced by children like Tariq. Youth ages 6-18 from low-income homes quit sports because of the financial costs at six times the rate of kids from high-income homes, according to a national survey of parents by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative and Utah State University’s Families in Sport Lab” (The Aspen Institute Project Play).

During my time with my premiere club, I was unable to afford private lessons on top of the club expenses. I would see or hear about my teammates' private sessions and it would reflect on their skills during games and practice, making me feel that my hard work could never beat theirs because they were always at a constant advantage. There was a specific moment when one of my teammates said that she brought her personal trainer with her on a family vacation to Florida. At that moment, I realized that I was at a totally uneven playing field and that so many of these privileged white individuals had multiple opportunities to better themselves that I never had. At times, these realizations would ruin my self confidence, and I would start to believe that no matter how hard I worked, at the club and on my own time, that I would never be as good as half of the girls on that team. I began to feel less of myself and out of place, as I did not feel that I was meeting the athletic standards along with the social standards. I was constantly compared to two other girls who played the same position as me and I always felt that I tried my hardest and was still looked over. I began to feel like I did not fit in, both as an athlete and as an individual. My friendships were genuine, and I loved all of the girls, but we did not face the same problems outside of soccer.

“A two-tiered system of youth sports—one in which the wealthy play on pricey private clubs and the less well-off are limited to uncompetitive community programs—also undermines one of the quieter virtues of team sports: They can be places of organic integration, where economic and racial differences are supplanted by ordinary friendship and the collective desire to win” (Flanagan).

Although this social issue continues, there are coaches all around the world that are aware of the problem and are looking to relieve individuals that suffer the consequences of this issue. Many of these coaches have come together to create a program that provides children with a high level of play and good skills training, at no cost. The Coever program gives individuals the opportunity to grow as a player, without having to pay the extra expenses. This program introduces students as young as kindergarteners to the sport of soccer and encourages their parents to keep them involved and active. This program also draws awareness to the expenses of the sport of soccer and many other sports, but provides free coaching, clinics, camps and at home training guides for individuals looking to improve their game for little to no cost. 

“Coerver Coaching is the World's Number One Soccer Skills Teaching Method. We have over one million players, parents and coach participants in 47 countries over the last 35 years”

(Coerver Coaching).

During my time with the Manchester High School Girls’ Soccer Program, all of the coaches that I have had over the years have brought attention to this issue and have managed to help the girls get involved with the Coerver Program, allowing us to build relationships with younger kids. By doing so we encourage the younger generations to continue their soccer careers into high school and allow them to find joy in playing with the older students. For a long time, we watched the Manchester High School Girls’ Soccer Program suffer from a loss of players through the transfer from middle school to High School because without the training of premiere clubs, many individuals lost interest and motivation to continue their soccer careers into High School We hope that with this program we can help younger kids to build a passionate foundation for the sport, rather than feeling forced by parents to stick with it. While participating in the Coever Program, we visited elementary schools and played with the kids involved in the MELC program after school. I was also a skills coach at one of the camps that occurred over the summer, where I worked with kids from the range of kindergarten through middle school. 

“We provide world renowned soccer training for players of all abilities from 4 years old to 16 years old as well as coach education programs” (Coerver Coaching).

The high cost of elite sports narrows down the amount of individuals that get the opportunity to play at highly competitive levels. The large expenses of high quality clubs marginalizes low and middle income communities, leaving quality players unable to compete as a consequence of these high costs. The neglect of these communities leaves talented individuals in the shadows of those who are able to afford these sports. The consequences of not being able to play at elite levels causes a decrease in confidence within talented individuals, as they watch others get ahead. Throughout all sports around the world, individuals suffer from the pay to play consequences preventing the world from seeing the talent of many players.

Works Cited

Flanagan, Linda. “What's Lost When Only Rich Kids Play Sports.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media 

Company, 28 Sept. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/09/whats-lost-when-only-rich-kids-play-sports/541317/. 

Gigante, Shelly. “Cost of Youth Sports: Issues & Benefits.” MassMutual, 2018, 

blog.massmutual.com/post/cost-of-youth-sports-dollars-and-sense. 

Herrin, Theo. “Youth Soccer in America: How Prohibitive Costs Are Hurting the Game.” Econsult 

Solutions, Inc., 13 Sept. 2019, econsultsolutions.com/soccer-costs-hurting-game/. 

“Improve Your Game with Our Soccer Skills Training: Coerver® Coaching.” Coerver Coaching, 

24 Mar. 2021, www.coerver.com/. 

Institute, Aspen. “Survey: Low-Income Kids Are 6 Times More Likely to Quit Sports Due to 

Costs.” The Aspen Institute Project Play, The Aspen Institute Project Play, 13 July 2020, www.aspenprojectplay.org/national-youth-sport-survey/low-income-kids-are-6-times-more-likely-to-quit-sports-due-to-costs. 

Picchi, Aimee. “Game over: Middle-Class and Poor Kids Are Ditching Youth Sports.” CBS News, 

CBS Interactive, 15 Aug. 2019, www.cbsnews.com/news/uneven-playing-field-middle-class-and-poor-kids-are-ditching-youth-sports/. 

“The Academies.” Exposing PaytoPlay in Youth Soccer, 

sites.duke.edu/exposingpaytoplay2020/the-development-academy/.

“Youth Sports Facts: Challenges.” The Aspen Institute Project Play, 2013, 

www.aspenprojectplay.org/youth-sports-facts/challenges.