Gov. Shapiro Must Give New Scholarship Program a Sporting Chance

Originally published by The Bucks County Independence.

Football season is here, but not just at Lincoln Financial Field. Friday night lights shine brightly on high school teams and crowds statewide. And let’s not forget the other beloved fall sports: cross country, volleyball, soccer, softball, and golf.

But while kids stress about playing time or making it to state, parents on the sideline wrestle with an entirely different issue: the cost. An AP–Ipsos poll found that about two-thirds of parents with at least one kid playing sports spend up to $2,000 per year on equipment, fees, training, and travel. Some paid even more.

This pay-to-play reality can be cost-prohibitive for lower-income families. The same AP–Ipsos poll found that 41 percent of families reported quitting a sport because of the price tag. Another study found that household income is a significant deciding factor, with lower-income households demonstrating lower sport-participation rates.

Read more at The Bucks County Independence.