Kid's hobby/sport getting pricey now!

Ames

Pee wrote: »

Can the kit be a birthday or christmas present?

I was going to say this - if you can manage till the new year without him having the stuff. Plenty of time if you tell everyone now to organise a list, and tick stuff off it as people search out bargains.

Softstuff

How about some sponsorship?

Just a quick google revealed these guys are looking for a new "team":

.http://www.duellistfencing.com/teamduellist.html

Janepig

Having some of the stuff as a present is a good idea - DD does cheerleading and that kit costs a bomb, her uniform (vest top, skirt, and bodywrapper) was over £100, so she had that as a present. Cheer trainers (they have to be a special shape) are £30 but I bought a second hand pair from another parent for £10 and DD's had good wear from them. She also had a squad tracksuit which was about £50 and had that for her birthday, along with other bits and pieces, shorts, bows, etc... . The squad also do lots of sponsored events, back packs, and so on to subsidise how much the parents have to pay for outfits. One of my friends has a daughter in another cheer squad, and the coach "owns" all the uniforms and lends them out for competitions, etc.... Add in the cost of travelling to 3 away competitions per year, accommodation, plus entry fees and tickets and it all adds up.

She also does gymnastics which other than the cost of lessons, costs a fiver to enter the competitions and the club lend us the leotards so they all wear matching ones when they compete. Cheap as chips.

Jxx

DS4215

Janepig wrote: »

She also does gymnastics which other than the cost of lessons, costs a fiver to enter the competitions and the club lend us the leotards so they all wear matching ones when they compete. Cheap as chips.

Jxx

My DD does gymnastics and we get £15 per competition and now at county level its often a 40mile each way trip. Thats 4-6 times a year. Plus £120 per month for training. Club leotards are £40 and tracksuits are £30+ and BG membership £30/year. Not including drinks, snacks, training gear, petrol, etc. Maybe £2.5k/year in total.

If she improves and moves up to national level, its up to £50 per competition (2-4 more per year), + hotels, travel etc. One of her friends parents paid £200 to rearrange a holiday for a comp only for her to pull out the week before injured. If she had gone it would have cost at least £200 more.

It could be worse - Ice skating is significantly more expensive.

elisebutt65

Softstuff wrote: »

How about some sponsorship?

Just a quick google revealed these guys are looking for a new "team":

.http://www.duellistfencing.com/teamduellist.html

Thanks for that. I just got him to write an email to them and attached some pictures of him in action. I do worry a bit that I'm going to be one of those awful, too proud, type mums but honestly it really makes my heart burst to see him in action as it's so lovely to have a kid who has something he wants to do as opposed to the other one who had to be dragged to everything

Janepig

DS4215 wrote: »

My DD does gymnastics and we get £15 per competition and now at county level its often a 40mile each way trip. Thats 4-6 times a year. Plus £120 per month for training. Club leotards are £40 and tracksuits are £30+ and BG membership £30/year. Not including drinks, snacks, training gear, petrol, etc. Maybe £2.5k/year in total.

If she improves and moves up to national level, its up to £50 per competition (2-4 more per year), + hotels, travel etc. One of her friends parents paid £200 to rearrange a holiday for a comp only for her to pull out the week before injured. If she had gone it would have cost at least £200 more.

It could be worse - Ice skating is significantly more expensive.

Blimey, we're lucky then. £60 a term for lessons - which are 4.30-6 on Thursday and 9.30-10.30 on Saturday. They put a bit more training in the lead up to comps but they don't charge any more. And like I say, they lend us the leotards to compete. I think we paid £15 for a year's membership to be able to compete and then it's a fiver's entry fee. I noticed in the last competition that alot of the other clubs had matching t-shirts, tracksuits, hoodies, etc... with the club logo and their names on, which we don't have to have - the girls do just as well without them! Although I'm sure we'd fork out for them if asked.

The furthest we've gone for gym is Haverfordwest which is just over an hour's drive away. So it's not too bad. We've also been to Newport and Birmingham this year with Cheerleading and also Aberystwyth for Cross Country. I just wish DD would say no to afew things sometimes!!

She wants to start training with a girls football team now, but all that'll cost is a pair of togs (and the subs) I should imagine. DS is 5 and he started football training last week, although he did go to another club for training afew months ago but they stopped (and he was devastated!). I've bought him some togs (£16) and the training is free until they start playing in matches.

Jx