Sports can be stressful. The play on the field, the coaches choice of the plays, and the lousy calls by the ref are all enough to make any sports parent pull their hair out in frustration.
Youth sports shouldn’t be stressful off the field as well. At least that’s what FlipGive believes.
FlipGive is a team-funding solution that has partnered with thousands of retailers and service providers across North America to eliminate the rigors of fundraising that parents and kids don’t like doing and simply don’t have time for. Instead of worrying about how they are going to afford uniforms, equipment, travel, and more, FlipGive allows young athletes and families to focus on the joy youth sports provides.
They’ve surveyed more than 600 American parents to find out what aspects of their kids’ sports participation stresses them out the most. Here are some of the interesting findings!
THE DUES ARE TOO DARNED HIGH
It’s no surprise that 74% of American parents believe youth sports to be too expensive. 38% say this was their main cause of stress. 22% of Americans point to team and league fees in particular as a major cause of stress.
THE TIME COMMITMENT
Some 40% of parents point to the time commitment of youth sports as the biggest stress factor. For many, it involves nights and weekends, tons of travel, practices, games, etc. That’s a lot of hours for the kids and their parents.
GEAR AND TRAVEL
Sports gear can come at a premium, especially in some sports like hockey (hope your kid’s not a goalie). 42% of parents say gear is the most expensive part of participation. Some 21% said the cost of travel to away games.
SOME SPORTS PARENTS ARE MORE STRESSED THAN OTHERS
Parents in these 10 states say their children’s sports involvement causes them the largest amount of stress.
The FlipGive ‘Sports Stress’ Index
1. Texas- 100%
2. California- 97%
3. Georgia- 96%
4. Florida- 94%
5. New Mexico- 92%
6. Arkansas- 91%
7. Illinois- 86%
8. Oklahoma- 84%
9. Pennsylvania- 78%
10. Kentucky- 76%
