I still remember stepping onto a football pitch as a kid. The pure excitement from playing the sport and the feeling that anything was possible. For many young Canadians, that moment is the start of a dream.
But today, too many kids never even make it to the field.
Across Canada, the cost of youth sports has grown so steeply that families are being priced out entirely. Talent is no longer the deciding factor; money is. And that should concern all of us.
Hockey, the sport often considered the nation’s main sport, now costs families an average of $4,478 per year, according to a Royal Bank of Canada analysis. For teenagers, that number can climb above $7,000. Registration fees, equipment, travel, and development camps are all part of a pay-to-play system that leaves many behind. In Lethbridge, Alta., rising registration and equipment costs were reported to contribute to smaller minor hockey teams being deleted, as local officials noted the financial pressure on families.
Other competitive sports aren’t far behind. Dance can run $3,000 to $6,000 annually. Gymnastics ranges from $2,000 to $4,000. Competitive cheerleading reaches $3,000 to $5,000, and club soccer can cost as much as $2,500 a year.
These numbers aren’t luxuries. They’re barriers that hold back children from playing the sports they love.
A 2022 survey from the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute found that 68 per cent of children and youth participated in a sport that year, but higher-income families were far more likely to enrol their kids in competitive programs. Those programs are often where scholarships, advanced training, and long-term opportunities begin.
So what happens to the kid with the hardest shot in town, whose parents can’t afford the extra clinics, or the girl who could be an elite gymnast but can’t pay for travel to competitions? Their dreams just slip out of reach.
We often talk about the benefits of sports. Confidence, resilience, and teamwork, to name a few. But rarely do we acknowledge the emotional toll of being excluded. Kids see their friends join elite teams and travel to tournaments while they stay behind, not because they lack talent, but because their families simply don’t have the money. That’s a heavy burden for a child to carry.
Parents are doing everything they can by buying second-hand gear, carpooling, and applying for grants like KidSport and Jumpstart. But even these strategies don’t solve the core issue. Competitive youth sports in Canada have become financially unsustainable for ordinary families.
And when we shut out families, we also shrink our talent pool. We lose diversity, community connection, and the chance to see kids from all backgrounds thrive. Some of Canada’s greatest athletes came from modest beginnings. Today, that path is narrowing.
We need a system built on access, not exclusion. That means rethinking how sports are funded, expanding subsidies, investing in grassroots programs, and pushing national organizations to prioritize affordability over profit.
Talent exists in every neighbourhood, not just the ones that can afford $7,000 hockey seasons.
No child should lose a dream because their family couldn’t afford to sign them up for a sports program. The next generation deserves a fair chance to play, to grow, and to discover who they can become.
