MSN had a very interesting article about the costs involved with raising children who compete in the Olympics. The article interviewed different parents and children in multiple different sports. Apparently the costs of raising and Olympic calibur athlete is exorbitant.
Not only is it expensive to train or take lessons, but often times it consumes the family’s entire free time. Weekends are spent driving or flying to competitions. Hours spent driving the child to and from practice. It can cause friction in the family because the vast majority of the parent’s attention is spent on one child. And of course the costs.
Some parents have borrowed against their home or taken out loans to afford paying for lessons, practice, equipment, etc. They have bet on their children succeeding and maybe helping them out in the future.
I have to wonder is it really the children’s dream to become Olympians or the parents? And is it wise to spend so much time and effort training? Is it detrimental to the family’s life and other siblings? I wonder if it’s really worth going for gold?
4 responses so far ↓
1 Adam // Aug 3, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I do not know how I would be able to handle that kind of life. I imagine a lot of these athletes start very young so I would have to say that it is the parents that get them started. I also would hate being a sibling to one of these athletes. I would always know that I would come second!
2 Barb1954 // Aug 4, 2008 at 1:14 am
Observation of families we know with kids on traveling soccer or baseball teams suggests that their lives aren’t much different. With practices several nights a week and games every weekend, heaven forbid the family has time to do anything else or the parents have time to pursue their own interests. I’d like to know when it became fashionable for parents’ lives to revolve around the kids activities?
3 JB // Aug 4, 2008 at 8:23 am
I think it’s great to have kids involved in things, but as a parent I would make sure that it’s the kids choice to pursue it. Having a 6 year old daughter now, I feel we need to introduce her into a variety of things… different sports, outdoor activities, music… I don’t want to put her in one thing and make her the best at it. I want her to be happy and enjoy doing what she’s doing.
4 LivingAlmostLarge // Aug 7, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I am not sure when it became fashionable to be wrapped up in your kids. But if they are pursing a Olympic dream, it’s hard not to.
I hope all these kids really want to do it.
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