Many kids retire from athletics by the age of 11.
That’s not hyperbole. The average child spends only three years playing sports—and more than a third quit by the time they turn 11—according to a 2019 study conducted by the Aspen Institute with the Utah State University Families in Sports Lab.
The reasons why kids were dropping out of sports so quickly vary from a lack of fun to a lack of funds. While some kids can get burned out by the demands of the games, some parents are getting burned out, too—by the high costs connected to them.
Why are youth sports so expensive?
This is one of the most popular questions parents are asking. The reason is simply the sum of all the insurance, travel, uniforms, registration fees, equipment, lessons, and coaching that come with sports.
One way to lower those mounting costs is by focusing on the equipment, where significant savings can be found on the growing online resale secondhand market. Online sports gear marketplaces like SidelineSwap and local gear exchanges let you outfit a little slugger with high-end gear at a fraction of the cost of buying the same stuff brand-new.
How to lower the cost of sports
Let’s take baseball, for example.
This season, let’s say you just signed your 9-year-old son up for his first season of Little League. Unsure if he would even want to go back for his second practice, let alone another season beyond this one, you are still required to outfit him with his own baseball glove, bat, batting helmet, cleats, batting gloves, and a water bottle.
Most of the other kids on the team will have bags to put all their gear in, too. The ones that clip to the fence–so you’ll probably want one of those as well.
Here’s how it works
One way to do it would be to buy all that gear brand-new. That could be costly.
Let’s just look at the bat and the glove. A new youth Easton baseball bat can cost as much as $300. But a used youth Easton baseball bat can be found at a significant discount online. Check it out:
NEW: Easton Youth Baseball Bats ($100 - $300 on BaseballMonkey)
SPORTSENGINE GEAR MARKETPLACE: Over 1,000 unique options for Youth Easton bats
SAVINGS: Up to $190 (up to 95% savings)
Baseball gloves can also be found at deep discounts. A used baseball glove might not be for you, but you might be surprised to know you can still find new items (many with tags!) on used gear marketplaces, as found here with new Rawlings baseball gloves:
NEW: Rawlings Youth infield gloves (Up to $280 on BaseballSavings)
SPORTSENGINE GEAR MARKETPLACE: New Rawlings Youth gloves on SidelineSwap ($20 - $150)
SAVINGS: Up to $260 (up to 92% savings)
As you can see, the discounts on the most basic items in youth sports, a bat and a mitt, are considerable. All it takes is a few seconds of research. With miles and miles of new and used and gently used gear for sale on any number of these marketplaces, you can find excellent sporting goods at incredible bargains.
The best gear at the best prices
As you can see, you are able to outfit your little guy with a mix of new and gently used gear from top brands to begin his baseball journey without breaking the bank. Sites like the SportsEngine Gear Marketplace are easy to use, and you & your son are able to play around and pick out his equipment with the big, user-friendly pictures on the site and app.
So now when he takes the field, no matter how long he plays for, he’ll be out there with all the best gear we’re all comfortable with.
