At its best, youth sports promotes teamwork and teaches young athletes priceless life lessons.
But, youth sports come with a price.
"It's not really cheap by any means but as a parent,” admits Amanda Ramsey, a parent in the Plain Local School district in Canton. “I want to see my kids grow."
Ramsey is a mother of five young athletes. Her oldest son Tony, is a senior at GlenOak High School, where he plays both soccer and football in the fall. Tony is a high-level athlete with aspirations of playing collegiately.
Between equipment, club sports and travel, the family believes sports has turned into a five-figure investment. But watching her kids develop is a perfect pay off.
"I want them to know teamwork. I want them to have something that they can commit to,” Ramsey explained. “Dedication, obviously is a big one too. Making friends and keeping them busy."
As crazy as the cost of youth sports can get, her family has some help. The Plain Local School District doesn't charge any participation fees for its prep athletes. That means no charge just to be on the team and no charge for basic equipment.
With five young athletes to take care of, that kind of help from the district is a game changer.
“I’ve heard about the cost just to participate,” Ramsey admits. “It's crazy! We're blessed to have our community for sure."
"It's getting a little out of hand," concedes Ryan Coleman.
Coleman is a football father in the Mentor School District who spoke with 3News outside a game. The Cardinals team is loaded, but making the team requires more than hard work.
"Now it's turned much more into a year-long task with fees over fees just to have your kid be able to participate," said Coleman, while still noting all the positives that youth athletics provides.
Mentor charges a $200 participation fee, but the district still tacks on an extra $50 for each additional sport a student plays. The costs start to stack up, especially in families with more than one athlete.
Jeff Holzhauer, athletic director at the Keystone Local School District, knows all about the complexities of the pay-to-participate model.
"It's expensive to be an athlete,” Holzhauer admits. “It definitely is, but I think it's well worth it."
As a former Wildcat athlete himself who has kids in the district’s athletics programs, Holzhauer understands both sides of the coin. He insists that while families in the smaller, rural community love their sports, the students come first.
"You also have to think about everybody. That top kid on the roster all the way down to the bottom,” reminds Holzhauer. “You have to make it enjoyable for everybody on your roster."
3News gathered data from more than 50 Northeast Ohio districts across nine different counties. While districts like Plain Local and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District have no participation fees, others charge hundreds just to sign up for a sport.
Many districts have caps on pay-to-participate amounts, for individual students or families. The caps guarantee costs don't soar above a certain dollar amount.
Keystone starts at a $250 fee for the first sport, then $200 for a second sport, and then $100 for a third. It caps fees at $1,2000 dollars per family, per school year, one of largest caps in the 3News sample size.
"It's not something I enjoy,” Holzhauer explained. “But it's a reality of it. A lot of schools similar to Keystone are in a place where we need to find additional funds."
The pay to participate model is far from one-size-fits-all, and as the landscape shifts, some fall behind.
In Ohio, some districts have been forced to drop programs because they can't afford to keep them afloat. Others merged athletics with nearby districts.
OHSAA Director of Media Relations Tim Stried acknowledged that the process is evolving across the state
"The vast majority do have some kind of pay to participate model," Stried confirmed. He says the association doesn't interfere with athletics directly at individual schools. But OHSAA does try to promote inclusion whenever possible.
"We try to encourage those numbers to stay low,” he admitted, “because you don't want a fee to prevent a student athlete from pursuing a sport."
While the costs vary from district to district, 3News did find one constant among families involved with prep sports.
"Just to see that smile, see them run through and give high fives on the field, not just to the teammates but the coaches," Ramsey glowed. “It makes me extremely happy to see that."
"Take a step back, enjoy these times," Coleman said, "because you're never going to get to relive them again."