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Club fees. Team snacks. New equipment. Gas to (and from) practice. If you’re a soccer mom or dad, you’re well aware of the endless expenses that can rack up quite a bill. All for a sport that’s designed to get your kid out on the field so they can have a bit of fun. Since when did kicking a ball around on the grass become so cost prohibitive?
The fact soccer is so accessible and less costly (or so it seems) than sports like ice hockey or horseback riding may explain why parents are initially driven to get their kids into the game. If only they knew how much dough they’d be forking over for cleats, shin pads, oranges, bananas, tournaments, and gallons and gallons at the pump. It’s reason enough to take out a second mortgage.
Despite the fact parents across the country are being forced to empty their wallets big time, soccer remains one of the most popular youth sports in the nation. Leagues are popping up everywhere, interest is spiking, and people are pushing their offspring to become stars. Of course, the more competitive your kid gets, the more you have to dole out to keep up. So you can forget about paying an Ivy League tuition.
But where is being a soccer parent most expensive? On the East Coast or West Coast? In Jersey City or Salt Lake City? It depends on lots of different factors—how many soccer clubs are nearby, the price for a gallon of gas, and even how much fruit costs at the grocery store. Calculating which city offers the best soccer-expense bang-for-your-buck ironically has nothing to do with how many goals your kid scores in a season.
Luckily, the financial gurus at NerdWallet have done the work for us. Check out the infographic below of the nation’s top 10 cities for soccer moms and dads. You’ll discover why you should consider moving the family to Tacoma, Arlington or Irvine so your kid can keep at it until they make the U.S. National Team—and you don’t go broke.
via:NerdWallet
