Parents offer their teen $20,000 in cash to not play travel hockey this year

Children’s sports have become more than just a time commitment for parents. The team building exercise has become a financial investment in which only a privileged few have the right to participate.

TikToker Liz McKenney took to the video-sharing site in shock after a parent told her they offered to pay their son $20,000 to NOT play hockey while traveling this year – there.

McKenney told the story of parents who offered their teenager $20,000 to give up travel hockey for a season.

Apparently exasperated by the time and expense of the extracurricular activity, these parents were at their wits’ end.

Why the whopping $20,000, you ask? Because that’s how much this family has to pay every year for him to play.

Perhaps the craziest part of McKenney’s story, the teen said “no.”

McKenney jokingly said what we’re all thinking: “So, I guess I’m just asking if there’s anyone willing to pay me not to play hockey this year – because I’ll say, ‘Yes.’

The cost of children’s sports is unbearable for most parents.

According to Project Play data, the average family spends nearly $900 per year on a child’s sports. Factor in siblings and the fact that most kids play different sports each season, and the bill runs into the thousands. In New Jersey, some travel football programs charge $4,000 per athlete for a three-month season.

While most parents will do what it takes to make their children’s dreams come true, the sad reality is that, according to a 2019 survey, most children will give up their favorite sport by the age of 11.

These costs highlight the privilege and economic disparity that seem to underline the once-lauded institution of youth sports. The days of parents coaching parent volunteers and local businesses providing “Bad News Bears” style jerseys are a thing of the past.

RDNE Stock Project / Canva Pro

Kids sports are big business. Middle-class families struggle to finance these leisure activities, leaving disadvantaged communities completely excluded.

Charlie Maher, professor emeritus at Rutgers and also a sports psychologist for the Cleveland Guardians, told NJ.com: “It’s like creating a sports caste system. The privileged will have more opportunities to learn, benefit from better teaching and more opportunities to play for money. Then children in communities where the finances are not there, where parents simply don’t have money, will be left behind.

Although all children’s sports have costs, hockey seems to be the most outrageous.

According to Hockey Think Tank, the average cost of a hockey season is $10,000 to $20,000, including travel, equipment and coaching costs.

U.S. teams may take between 5 and 10 air trips per year, requiring hotel stays for each trip. Travel therefore seems to constitute the bulk of payments.

The time commitment is also no reason to balk.

Teams can play between 20 and 40 games per season, in addition to two practices per week. A season can include over 100 “sessions” and these athletes can be as young as 7 years old.

Why would anyone turn down $20,000?

Hockey is obviously something this teenager is incredibly passionate about, but his parents are clearly struggling.

Sometimes families have to try to find a balance, and they hoped that by pointing out the costs to their son, he would understand the disparity between value and pleasure.

He obviously has the privilege to continue playing, and his parents are lucky to be able to offer him this opportunity.

Madison Piering is a writer on YourTango’s news and entertainment team, specializing in human interest and pop culture topics.