The unexpected costs of my 11-year-old's baseball season caught me off guard. Receipts show that we spent around $8,800.
I used to judge select sports parents. Now I'm one of them, spending more than $8,800 on my son's last baseball season.
My son's select baseball season unexpectedly cost our family over $8,800. At first, the increased practice times and doubled costs seemed reasonable, but I was blindsided by the additional expenses. Concessions alone totaled $2,000, with a hot dog and drink costing $40 per game for our family of seven. Driving to practices and tournaments consumed at least $700 in gas, with longer trips adding more miles.
Gear purchases reached around $1,250, including new baseball equipment and team merchandise. Private lessons for catching and hitting were $300 per month for six months. Babysitters were needed for $600, and parents also invested $400 in parent gear. Hotel stays for long-distance trips added another $1,200. Registration fees amounted to $900 per season.
While the total may seem daunting, the joy and growth my son experienced far outweighed the financial burden.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
