Youth sport spending rises as parents invest in creating future champions

Australian parents’ commitments to their children’s sporting dreams have been steadily rising post-Covid, according to a forthcoming Australian Sports Commission report, with some now spending more than $10,000 a year to keep their kids ahead of the competition.

The research, which is yet to be formally published, was previewed by the Sydney Morning Herald recently.

It involved a survey of 5,000 people and more than 2,000 sports clubs, revealing that children’s sports costs have soared by between eight and 12 per cent annually since the pandemic began, with swimming, soccer, gymnastics and basketball the most popular.

Report co-author Rochelle Eime from Federation University, told the Sydney Morning Herald that individual disciplines like tennis, golf, dance and gymnastics could command “a couple of hundred bucks a week” in private coaching fees alone.

The other co-author, Victoria University Professor of International Sport Business Hans Westerbeek, said the rise of specialised academies and elite training programmes to enable children to reach their full potential had driven costs skywards.

“The highest competition level, state or national, can be seriously substantial – in excess of $10,000 a year if you add up all the costs including transport, which may include interstate and sometimes international travel.”

Catering for growing demand, responsibly

This surge in investment in children’s sports presents both opportunities and challenges for aquatic facilities and leisure centres.

Jonas Leisure Head of Sales & Customer Service Dushayant Dhar said the enthusiasm for top-level coaching was positive news for leisure centres, including those that host elite coaches. However, he cautioned that pricing at community leisure centres typically required balancing opportunities for extension of children’s sporting skills with access to healthy recreation options for those just looking to participate and stay healthy.

“For most council-run leisure centres, it makes sense to offer any higher-cost top-level coaching opportunities in tandem with options that are priced in a way that ensure they continue to be accessible to the general community.”

The Australian Sports Commission report found that swimming was currently in pole position as the nation’s most popular youth sport, with more than a million participants.

Dhar said that its popularity meant it was essential for aquatic centres to have good systems in place that could handle the booking and management of swim programmes effectively.

While there were many options available, Envibe leisure management software was an ideal choice as it could help facilities maximise their capacity while providing quality programmes at all levels from learn-to-swim lessons to advanced squad training sessions, he said.

For facilities offering private coaching – whether in pools, courts, or training halls – Envibe seamlessly manages one-on-one sessions alongside gymnastics, dance, basketball or other group activities, allowing facilities to optimise qualified instructor time.

Dhar said court and hall rentals represented another significant revenue stream as parents seek additional practice opportunities for their kids. Envibe’s Venue and Facility Online module streamlines bookings, allowing facilities to accommodate the growing demand.

Envibe’s Teams module is built to handle the administrative complexity of modern youth sports programmes: from registration of teams and scheduling fixtures to tracking results and communicating updates.

The addition of Ticketing Module, an in-house event management hub to generate, manage and sell tickets for events of all sizes, along with advanced built-in engagement tools makes Envibe an end-to-end solution to cater for the increased demand for top-level coaching.

The bigger picture: healthy communities

While rising spending presents challenges for some families, it also reflects a positive trend: Australian communities are increasingly recognising the value of quality youth sports programmes.

“The key is ensuring this investment translates into better outcomes for young athletes while maintaining accessibility and opportunities for all children to get moving,” Dhar said.

Well-managed facilities could offer more diverse programme options for different levels – from recreational participation to elite pathways – ensuring that rising investment in premium coaching and training doesn’t come at the expense of grassroots accessibility.

That grassroots access remained critical, especially in light of 2022 research showing only 24% of Australians meet national physical activity guidelines, and 2025 research stating 48% of Year Six students cannot swim 50 metres and tread water for two minutes.

Comprehensive leisure management software like Envibe could also play a role in maintaining access and affordability for participants by helping facilities reduce their administrative overheads and streamline their operations, he said.

“Smart leisure management software solutions like Envibe help ensure that every dollar invested in youth sports translates into better experiences, improved outcomes and stronger pathways to sporting excellence.”

Contact the Jonas Leisure Support Team today to discover how Envibe’s facility-management capabilities can help you make the most of the increasing investment in youth sports and allow every future champion in your community to reach their full potential.