Need info about school sponsored sports

[belle5691]

I just came from a meeting where I am furious! My son came home in tears. He brought home a note last week about wrestling "club" being started at school. He is in 5th grade. He brought home another note yesterday stating the location change. Again, NOWHERE was the cost mentioned. The cost to join this freakin wrestling club is $125, plus $10-$12 a week!!!!!!!!! Then, we are asked to go to a different city every single week, an average of 3 hours away, meaning we get up at 3 am to get this done. I will make any sacrifice needed for my child to be part of things....but is this reasonable financial costs???????? I am furious that the cost was NEVER mentioned before tonight, and amazingly---they dont even look at qualifications---they just look at whether you have enough money to fork over.

[rlynn411]

Have to wonder how other kids parents feel about this location change. Can't blame you for being furious!

[cpbaby]

Thats what they did with Little League this past spring. Nowhere on the sheet did it say how much, so when you got done filling it out and turn it in, THEN they tell you $50.Luckily I had it. PLUS you have to give your child permisson to "fundraise" OR pay an additional $30. The fundraiser was basically asking for donations. I gave $1.

I know that for alot of people $50 is fine, but I have to budget it WAY in advance. There is no way I could come up with $125 within a day or two.

[andreame70]

What in the world is this $125 supposed to cover? And exactly what is the $10-$12 a week for?

My goodness, he is joining a school wrestling club, not the WWE.

No, it is not reasonable.

initial fee $125.00
$12 per week for 6 months in fees $288.00
$25 in extra gas per week for 6 months $600.00

The total is: $1013 just for starters. You will also have extra incidental expenses, such as more frequent oil changes for the extra mileage you are putting on your vehicle, plus more tire wear.

This will end up adding at least $150 a month to your monthly budget, even after the initial $125 fee is paid. For that kind of money, you could buy him a car...or the family one for that matter, or even save for college.

I just cannot see how they can justify charging $125 just to get in the program. There was a time that schools supported sports for the discipline, teamwork and exercise that it offered the child. It sounds to me like school sports have now become just another fundraiser.

Andrea

[belle5691]

No abilities necessary...LOL....i guess Im paying for the medals that they said every child will get win or lose. Oh...and the wrestling shoes and headgear are extra.

[fatesfaery]

That sounds outrageously expensive. When my son played high school football, the only costs we had was a physical, a $50 fee and his cleats.

[cinnamonch]

You need to ask what all the money is for. Sounds very expensive especially for a 5th grader. I know the area high schools dont charge that much

[welch131313]

It sounds like to me you are talking about Little Leaque Wrestling. It is not sponsered by the school. They weekly fees are what you are paying to have your child admitted in the the tournaments they have on the weekend. The fee goes towards the medal, buying the ref, and any other fees that it takes to run the tournament. Yes that includes the medal you child my win. In MO the start up fee is $30.00. Yes you have to buy your own shoes and headgear. It is your child. You do not have to go to any of the tournaments they are not required.

[belle5691]

You are right. In reading further with what was sent home with us tonight, It is USA Wrestling....and offered through the coaches at my sons elementary school...so not school sponsored, just ummm, maybe school condoned. LOL. Im just frustrated that the information was sent home from the school office and held on school grounds. And still no mention of price or sponsorship was mentioned until the actual meeting and papers were handed out. I fully expected to buy my sons shoes, headgear, singlet, etc. But, when they said they needed a $50 deposit also to cover a singlet (they said buying cost was $30) and sweats for $20. I dont mean to appear dumb...but isn't sweats just sweat pants? I have never paid $20 for a pair of sweats in my life! Especially used ones. I was prepared for a registration cost---Just not $125 before I left there tonight. And it makes me upset that I totally did not understand the notes sent home with no mention of this cost or who sponsored this...and disappointed my son very much.

[missymommy]

:( Wow that is alot of money! I thought ours was alot for soccer.

We do a fundraiser with ours to help cover the costs, that is what they should do. Maybe this is so much because it is the first year for it?

We have to pay either $35 a child for soccer or $60 if we don't do the fundraiser(and we have to either sell so many or buy them ourselves). We can only be charged up to $200 a family.

Any metals or trophies though are bought out of the coaches (who are not paid) own pockets at the end of the season and they also pay for a pizza party. The parents then go together and get the coaches a gift. This is for the younger kids 4-8 when they get to 8-14 they have bigger tournaments where they get trophies paid for by local businesses. After 14 they are in middle school and they start playing school sports.

The money goes towards insurance, balls, nets, medical kits, shirts, and I think for the portapotties that sit on the fields. I am sure there is more that I don't know about but our soccer is huge here in our area. The field space is donated by local businesses, churches, and schools.

[YankeeMary]

You are right. In reading further with what was sent home with us tonight, It is USA Wrestling....and offered through the coaches at my sons elementary school...so not school sponsored, just ummm, maybe school condoned. LOL. Im just frustrated that the information was sent home from the school office and held on school grounds. And still no mention of price or sponsorship was mentioned until the actual meeting and papers were handed out. I fully expected to buy my sons shoes, headgear, singlet, etc. But, when they said they needed a $50 deposit also to cover a singlet (they said buying cost was $30) and sweats for $20. I dont mean to appear dumb...but isn't sweats just sweat pants? I have never paid $20 for a pair of sweats in my life! Especially used ones. I was prepared for a registration cost---Just not $125 before I left there tonight. And it makes me upset that I totally did not understand the notes sent home with no mention of this cost or who sponsored this...and disappointed my son very much.
More than likely the sweats and the siglet have printing on them, costing them more than a regular pair of sweat pants or siglets. My sons cost to join last year was $150.00 then $35.00 per tournament, $90.00 wrestling shoes, $50.00 worth of pads and head gear. And he wrestled one tournament and quit...grrr...this year he is wrestling for highschool so it only cost $50.00 for transportation fees. He has wrestled since he was 5 years old and he is now 14. Wrestling has to be one of the most expensive sports out there.

[YNKYH8R]

More than likely the sweats and the siglet have printing on them, costing them more than a regular pair of sweat pants or siglets. My sons cost to join last year was $150.00 then $35.00 per tournament, $90.00 wrestling shoes, $50.00 worth of pads and head gear. And he wrestled one tournament and quit...grrr...this year he is wrestling for highschool so it only cost $50.00 for transportation fees. He has wrestled since he was 5 years old and he is now 14. Wrestling has to be one of the most expensive sports out there.
Very true. Our singlets and sweats (top and bottom) had the school name on it. I bought the Singlet, and shoes. The sweats were the schools and had to be returned to the school at the end of season. If they were trashed you bought the school a new set. (There was alwasy one :rolleyes: )
We chrged admission to the meets that were held at our school. So we tried to have as many tri-meets a years as possible. Obviously, more parents from away the better the revenue. 1$ for students, 2$ for adults. And it paid for the gas to take us to away meets. The coach (we were lucky) wanted wrestling fo rour school so badly that he taught us for free. He was really into it. Our first years the team came in 6th. The second year we came in 2nd. :)

[llbriteyes]

This is what happens when school levies aren't passed. Something has to get cut. But I agree they should let you know UP FRONT what the costs are.

btw... I ALWAYS vote down school levies. The reason is because they misappropriate money incessantly. If the schools were allowed to appropriate the money where its needed, there wouldn't be a problem. This I know from experience.

btw again... (proud mommy) My son was the top wrestler in his weight class in high school.