Youth Hockey Absurdities
My eight year old plays hockey. Actually, I'm the one that introduced him to it, and he happened to really like it, so I keep shelling out money like there is no tomorrow. I'm mostly fine with it, and truth be told, I probably spend more than I should on his gear. After all, he is only eight. I remember being young and wanting to have cool gear, so sometimes I splurge. It's pretty easy at this age to spend an extra twenty bucks on a piece of equipment. However, a conversation I had with another parent recently shook my hockey expectations to the core.
My buddy and I were sitting in the bleachers watching our boys on the ice. I was pondering taking the next step to participate in the travel program. I wasn't sure if spending the four grand was appropriate or worth it at this age. having watched some of the older kids, like nine years old, on the AA and AAA teams play, I have to admit that it would be pretty awesome to watch the little guy play at such a high level.
What came next floored me. He mentioned that some parents at the AAA level were spending between thirty and sixty thousand dollars a year. I nearly chocked. I'm a teacher, and while I make enough money, as if there were such a thing, I could never, nor would I ever spend that kind of scratch to play a sport. Nor should anyone.
When I began to think about what a family could do with that kind of money, hockey never was even a consideration. I imagined surf trips to New Zealand, or ski trips to Banff, although, I guess that one could be a two for one if there was a hockey tournament in Calgary. I very quickly realized that, were I to ever have that kind of disposable income, I would not ever consider using it for hockey.
I love hockey. I grew up constantly hearing about Bobby Orr. I played hockey growing up, and nearing my fifties, I'm still playing. To what end I have to ask? All of the best takeaways from sport don't require huge expenditures. Could it help them get a college scholarship, or a shot at professional hockey? I suppose, if a child beat all of the odds, avoided injuries, and really wanted to push and challenge themselves, then it might be possible. Though when one considers the odds, and looks at the cost/benefit ratio, the idea looks quite ridiculous.
According to Jeff Hull, writing for Bleacher Report, the odds of a boy playing just one NHL game are 1-1000. Playing at the college level has slightly better odds, but if we do the math, $30,000 x 10 years = $300,000 just to play travel hockey. This doesn't guarantee anything. I can send my kid to Community College for two years, and then to a state school for another two years and be out less than fifteen grand. I just saved two hundred and eighty five thousand dollars. From a numbers perspective, it just doesn't add up.
Yes, hockey is more than numbers. I'm almost fifty, and even after taking twenty years off, I still love to play hockey. Hockey is a sport that can be enjoyed for a large part of one's life. camaraderie, teamwork, work ethic, dealing with failure and dealing with success, taking direction, facing challenges, overcoming obstacles, and facing adversity, are many of the things that children learn from playing a sport. It just doesn't take three hundred thousand dollars to learn those things.
As it turned out, even though little man had the opportunity to play travel hockey, I decided to go another route. Since the whole family loves to ski, another life long sport, especially my little hockey player, I decided that we would use the money for that. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made. When he gets a bit older, and his own drive is behind wanting to play at a higher level, I will reconsider the idea. Until then, the cost just doesn't fit the benefit. If you are determined to spend that kind of money, start racing sailboats or buying race horses.
My buddy and I were sitting in the bleachers watching our boys on the ice. I was pondering taking the next step to participate in the travel program. I wasn't sure if spending the four grand was appropriate or worth it at this age. having watched some of the older kids, like nine years old, on the AA and AAA teams play, I have to admit that it would be pretty awesome to watch the little guy play at such a high level.
What came next floored me. He mentioned that some parents at the AAA level were spending between thirty and sixty thousand dollars a year. I nearly chocked. I'm a teacher, and while I make enough money, as if there were such a thing, I could never, nor would I ever spend that kind of scratch to play a sport. Nor should anyone.
When I began to think about what a family could do with that kind of money, hockey never was even a consideration. I imagined surf trips to New Zealand, or ski trips to Banff, although, I guess that one could be a two for one if there was a hockey tournament in Calgary. I very quickly realized that, were I to ever have that kind of disposable income, I would not ever consider using it for hockey.
I love hockey. I grew up constantly hearing about Bobby Orr. I played hockey growing up, and nearing my fifties, I'm still playing. To what end I have to ask? All of the best takeaways from sport don't require huge expenditures. Could it help them get a college scholarship, or a shot at professional hockey? I suppose, if a child beat all of the odds, avoided injuries, and really wanted to push and challenge themselves, then it might be possible. Though when one considers the odds, and looks at the cost/benefit ratio, the idea looks quite ridiculous.
According to Jeff Hull, writing for Bleacher Report, the odds of a boy playing just one NHL game are 1-1000. Playing at the college level has slightly better odds, but if we do the math, $30,000 x 10 years = $300,000 just to play travel hockey. This doesn't guarantee anything. I can send my kid to Community College for two years, and then to a state school for another two years and be out less than fifteen grand. I just saved two hundred and eighty five thousand dollars. From a numbers perspective, it just doesn't add up.
Yes, hockey is more than numbers. I'm almost fifty, and even after taking twenty years off, I still love to play hockey. Hockey is a sport that can be enjoyed for a large part of one's life. camaraderie, teamwork, work ethic, dealing with failure and dealing with success, taking direction, facing challenges, overcoming obstacles, and facing adversity, are many of the things that children learn from playing a sport. It just doesn't take three hundred thousand dollars to learn those things.
As it turned out, even though little man had the opportunity to play travel hockey, I decided to go another route. Since the whole family loves to ski, another life long sport, especially my little hockey player, I decided that we would use the money for that. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made. When he gets a bit older, and his own drive is behind wanting to play at a higher level, I will reconsider the idea. Until then, the cost just doesn't fit the benefit. If you are determined to spend that kind of money, start racing sailboats or buying race horses.
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