News release

From: Federation University Australia

Cost of playing community sport tops $4,500 per child, Fed Uni study shows

The cost of playing community sport in Australia is far higher than previously understood, with a new national study led by Federation University finding families spend an average of $4,567 per child each year to keep their children playing sport.

The research, conducted in partnership with the Australian Sports Commission, is the most comprehensive investigation of community sport participation costs undertaken in Australia, surveying more than 5,500 sport participants across the country.

Lead researcher Professor Rochelle Eime said previous estimates focused mainly on registration fees, overlooking many of the additional costs associated with participating in community sport.

"Our findings show the real cost of participation is much greater than most people realise," Professor Eime said.

"When we include expenses such as equipment, uniforms, coaching, travel, competition costs and even lost parental income due to sport commitments, the financial burden on families becomes clear."

Professor Eime said the findings are important because community sport plays a critical role in strengthening health, wellbeing and social connectedness.

"Community sport is about much more than competition. It's about friendships, belonging, connection and creating stronger communities," she said.

"We know the physical, mental and social benefits of sport are significant, particularly for children and young people, so it's important that rising costs don't prevent people from participating."

The study found even the minimum entry-level cost of playing sport is substantial, averaging $1,161 for children and $1,200 for adults, including registration fees, uniforms and equipment. Adult participants reported spending an average of $2,894 annually to participate in community sport.

Popular team sports such as football (soccer) ($5,622), basketball ($6,369) and Australian Rules football ($3,896) sat between some of the lowest-cost sports, including softball ($1,643) and athletics ($1,970), while highest-cost sports included individual-based sports including BMX/mountain bike ($11,689) and equestrian ($13,947) for children.

The study showed 67 per cent of participants said cost was a limiting factor in their decision to participate, rising to 78 per cent among children. Professor Eime said this is likely an underestimation given that only current players completed the survey.

"Cost is no longer a minor consideration. It's a major factor influencing whether Australians can participate in community sport," she said.

“The cost of participation varied considerably across sports and it is likely with cost-of-living pressures that individual and families will choose certain sports due to the costs to play rather than personal choice.”

"The people most affected are often those who already face barriers to participation, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas."

While overall participation costs were similar between metropolitan and regional areas, the composition of those costs differed significantly. Children living in regional and remote Australia spent an average of $790 a year on travel and $714 on accommodation associated with sport participation, compared with $428 and $368 respectively for children living in major cities.

Professor Eime said the findings also highlighted practical ways clubs and sporting organisations could help make sport more affordable.

"We need to think creatively about how we make sport more affordable and more focused on getting and keeping people involved," she said.

"Initiatives such as club-based uniform programs, equipment exchange schemes and partnerships that recycle and repurpose sporting gear can help reduce costs for families while keeping more people connected through sport."

The researchers said the findings provided important evidence for governments, sporting organisations and policymakers seeking to maintain participation levels amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures.

"Understanding the true costs of participation is essential for developing effective policies, funding programs and support mechanisms that keep community sport accessible for all Australians," Professor Eime said.

The study surveyed 5,533 participants from across Australia, representing 67 sports among children and 77 sports among adults.

The study, Cost to Play Community-Level Sport in Australia, was published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living – Sports Management, Marketing and Economics, and was led by Federation University researchers Professor Eime, Dr Melanie Charity and Dr Katherine Owen, in collaboration with Professor Hans Westerbeek from Victoria University and the Australian Sports Commission.