With the cost-of-living crisis and inflation concerns, some after-school sports are deemed a luxury. Photo / Supplied
With the cost-of-living crisis and inflation concerns, some after-school sports are deemed a luxury. Photo / Supplied
Extracurricular sports offer numerous benefits for kids, physically and mentally, while fostering character building.
Typically, from the age of 5, parents enrol their children in activities outside of school, whether it’s sports, music, dance or art.
However, in today’s economic climate, marked by a cost-of-living crisis and inflation concerns, some after-school activities are seen as a luxury.
Given these challenges, is the cost of playing worth it? And as families grapple with significant financial burdens, what code’s the best value to ensure children reap the myriad benefits associated with sports participation?
For the rugby-mad mums and dads who want to see their kid become the next Beauden Barrett or Ruby Tui, rugby is one of the cheapest grassroots codes in Aotearoa.
Season fees: $50-$130 a year.
Playing jerseys are generally included with membership. $50 to purchase the socks and shorts, but not always a requirement.
Rugby boots can be purchased from The Warehouse as cheap as $25. Rebel Sport ranges from about $50 up to $130. A mouthguard can cost as low as $5.
The cost of participating in the world’s biggest sport varies depending on the club or the player’s abilities and aspirations. It could be compared to the age-old debate of sending a child to a private versus public school.
Season fees: $100-$200.
$400 for an academy/top team player.
About $100 for the kit (shirt, shorts and socks).
Football boots can be purchased from The Warehouse as cheap as $25. Rebel Sport ranges from about $50 up to $130. Shin pads from $15.
Despite the various expenses associated with participating in community football, it’s essential not to overlook the fact the sport reached its present status due to its accessibility. This accessibility has played a crucial role in nurturing some of the greatest players in history. Many of them honed their skills by kicking and dribbling tin cans or rolled-up newspapers around the streets of Brazil.
Playing cricket is sometimes a bonus activity kids will partake in during the summer. Another favourite Kiwi sport that teaches kids the importance of technique, tactics and patience.
Cricket also provides players, and typically voluntary umpires, with a respite from the stress and fervour of sideline parents, who watch from a distance, outside the cricket oval and the intensity of the game.
Playing cricket compares with rugby and football, but it’s the gear that lifts its expense.
Season fees: $150-$250.
Some clinics offer between $40 and $60 for a private coaching session.
About $100 for the kit (polo and pants).
Though junior levels may provide cricket bats, Rebel Sport sells a kid’s bat for $279.99. A helmet costs upwards of $60, and pads upwards of $40.
For top-quality gear, bats range between $400 and $2000. Gloves and pads cost upwards of $150 each, and helmets are more than $300.
Netball
A sport predominately played by women and girls, it’s a code often played through schools rather than clubs. This makes the sport one of the cheapest options for parents to enrol their children into.
Season fees: $30-$85.
Uniforms are often included in the fees.
The downside of the sport is that sometimes netball can be notoriously toxic, “dominated by adults with big egos and warped ethics and elite players with a hard-to-understand sense of entitlement”, one netball dad wrote.
Netball is one of the cheapest extracurricular sports. Photo / Bevan Conley
Swimming
Swimming differs from popular team sports such as football, netball and rugby. Enroling your child in swimming lessons isn’t always a passion project but a life skill, like riding a bike.
However, as kids grow up learning freestyle and breaststroke, some do find a passion for it.
$154-$195 a term.
A cheap pair of togs can be purchased at Kmart for $12. They also sell goggles and caps. Branded togs can cost about $40, while goggles at least $50.
Golf
Some of New Zealand’s greatest athletes are golfers: Sir Bob Charles, Michael Campbell and Lydia Ko.
Golf can be costly for juniors but often comes with significant rewards. In 2023, Ko and men’s golfer Ryan Fox were named one of New Zealand’s highest-paid athletes, amongst stars such as Steven Adams, Chris Wood and Israel Adesyana.
A term of dance lessons (once or twice a week) costs between $105 and $155 a term. That’s $420-$620 a year.
Ballet or jazz shoes start at the $20 mark, but go up to more than $50. Leotards range about $40.
There can be extra costs associated with show costumes and competitions.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport known for its high level of discipline. Its code demands physical exercises that require balance, strength, flexibility, agility, co-ordination, artistry, and endurance, all of which contribute to building a well-rounded athlete.
About $150 a term and $600 a year.
Leotards bought cheaply at Kmart are as little as $12, while expensive ones can go up to $200.
There can be extra costs associated with show costumes and competitions.
Athletics
Athletics is a popular sport, particularly in an Olympic year, and New Zealand has produced some top, medal-worthy track and field athletes. Perhaps that’s because season fees at a community level are extremely reasonable.
Club uniforms like singlets, T-shirts and crop tops are about $50.
For runners, spike shoes start near $120 and go up to $300.
Cycling
Whether it’s on the road or in the mountains, cycling is another cheap option for extracurricular activities, but the sport’s key piece of equipment will set you back.
Memberships start near $20 and are generally no more than $50.
Mountain bikes start about $350 and go up to $1000. Road bikes start at $500 and can go up to $25,000-plus.
Rowing
Like athletics, New Zealand has produced some outstanding rowers, but the enrolment prices between the two vastly differ. Club memberships are typically for those over 16; younger rowers go through schools.
Learning to row through a secondary school or club can cost between $300 and $600. For the more-advanced rowers it can cost up to $4000 for the year.
The costs typically include training and regattas. Often uniform is included.
Equestrian
Equestrianism is ideal for kids because it combines physical activity with responsibility and empathy through bonding with horses. It fosters confidence, discipline and social skills, all while providing therapeutic benefits. Overall, it offers a unique opportunity for children to grow physically, emotionally, and socially.
Year-long introductory and competitive memberships range between $50 and $100.
Depending on what disciplines a rider partakes in, levies can be $5 to $155. Competition fees are also between $60 and $100.
Not all riders own horses, but if they do, can start near $300 and cost up to $20,000. There is extra cost with maintaining and caring for the horse.
Pony clubs run under a similar structure to Girl Guide and Scouts. They offer regular rallies where riders work through a certificate programme. Many of the clubs fall within the $100-$200 range for the year.
* All fees are approximate and generally vary across regions and suburbs.
Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME Sports team. She’s a keen footballer and has worked with the Alternative Commentary Collective and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a full-time journalist.
