Pay as you play
Equipment exchanges, buying used play role in dealing with expenses
Providing sons and daughters with opportunities to play sports is seen as part of being a good parent but buying equipment and travel costs and program registration fees, can be tough on the pocketbook.
It’s a battle between the Nova Scotia Tigers and the Chaleur Avalanche in Bouctouche’s J.K. Irving Centre on this frosty Friday afternoon in early February.
At the net, 10-year-old goalie Zach Fontaine is protected behind heavily-padded equipment that covers him from just under his helmet and facemask to his skates.
His father, David Fontaine, sips on a medium Mcdonalds co ee in the stands, able to identify his son only by his bright orange-and-navy blue team jersey with its number 31 on the back and sleeves.
Today, his son’s team emerges victorious, defanging the Tigers with a score of 5-1 in ringette tournament action.
He and his wife, Allison, have made a commitment to their ve children to encourage them to lead healthy lifestyles and take part in sports.
Providing sons and daughters with opportunities to play sports is seen as part of being a good parent. It helps children develop great handeye coordination, tone and beef up muscles, learn to work with teammates, recognize the importance of discipline and persistence, and enhance their brains’ ability to repair itself and be mentally healthy and alert.
But buying equipment and travel costs and program registration fees, can be tough on the pocketbook.
“For a year, with the trips and everything, it’s close to $1,550,” said Fontaine.
roughout Atlantic Canada, many families face the same nancial juggling act as they try to stretch their household budget enough to allow their children to enjoy team sports.
Statistics Canada gures from 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, show the average family spends $561 on sports equipment and fees. Atlantic Canadians spent a bit less, coughing up $416.
But that’s just the average for equipment and fees. ose gures don’t include all the gas and wear and tear on the family minivan or nights in hotels during tournaments or away trips.
An Ipsos poll conducted for Global News last year shows some parents, most notably those whose kids are on teams, spend more. e typical Canadian family was reportedly planning to spend about $755 for their children who are on hockey teams last year, that polls reveals. By comparison, parents of swimmers were looking to budget about $193.
e Fontaines try hard to keep costs down by scouring websites and services for deals and buying equipment second hand at thrift shops.
“I’ve never bought skates that are new for my kids,” he said. “I buy them at the Salvation Army for around $10 to $15 for a good pair. But you need to go often and see what they have. at equipment, if it’s in good shape, it can last for years.”
e father of three ringette players, Fontaine also keeps costs down by maintaining the skates himself as much as possible.
“I bought a little tool a few years ago to remove the rust,” he said. “When we get skates, we sharpen them only once or twice a year. at’s good enough. Every time you sharpen skates, you lose a part of the blade – and it’s $6 a shot.”
During the summer, the Fontaine boys play baseball. e team jerseys, balls and helmets for batting are provided by the local minor league teams. Cleats, though, aren’t, so they rely on the league’s cleat exchange for those who outgrow their own.
At another second-hand store, Fontaine picked up ve pairs of sneakers for only $5.
“ ere are a lot of parents who buy stu new,” he said. “Today, with a lot of families with only one or two kids, maybe they can do that. But, me, even if
I could a ord it, I still wouldn’t buy new because it’s like buying a new car. ere’s a lot of depreciation.”
Bargain-hunting clearly goes a long way to keep costs down. But no amount of careful shopping can make up for an insu cient income to both take care of children’s basic needs and also buy them sports equipment and pay for recreational programs.
But there there are organizations willing to support those families most in need, including the national Jumpstart and Kidsport programs which have local chapters. e Kidsport program provides funding annually to cover the costs of registration and equipment for sports programs.
Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program is another national program that provides similar help.