Aussie parents spending $2.1 billion on children’s sports and physical activities, report reveals

AUSSIE parents are spending big on gym memberships and organised sports in a desperate bid to give their children a competitive edge on the sporting field — and in life.

EXCLUSIVE

AUSSIE parents are spending in excess of $1000 per child on gym memberships annually in a desperate bid to give their children a competitive edge on the sporting field.

In what has become a $40 million cash cow for the fitness industry, kids as young as five are pumping iron and taking part in special sessions designed to improve fitness for their weekly team game.

Other kids with gym memberships haven’t been able to find a team sport that suits their needs and so are shunning team sport in favour of the treadmill or crossfit workout.

News Corp Australia can reveal the full cost parents are spending on gym fitness for their kids under the age of 15 as part of the Australian Sports Commission’s AusPlay report card into the state of our children’s physical activity.

Kids are now joining crossfit with specific kids’ programs. Levi, 7, lifts above his weight. Picture: David Caird

Around 63,000 children are involved in working out at a gym, with parents spending a national average of $200 per child over the 12 months in 2017.

A total of $37.8 million was spent by parents on gym fitness for their kids last year.

While some gyms offer discounted rates to kids, others are charging in excess of $1000 a year for weekly workouts at $20 a session.

The AusPlay report, which surveys more than 20,000 individuals including more than 3000 parents about their activity levels and the activity levels of their kids found in total Australian parents spent $2.1 billion on organised kids sport and physical activity outside of school hours last year.

Dancing and taekwondo topped the list of sport registrations at $440 and $420 respectively, while the cheapest sports for registration included Australian football, which is heavily subsidised by the AFL, and Touch Football at $115 and $100.

Parents are splashing out on gym memberships for their kids. Picture: Antoinette Clement

Kate Palmer, CEO of the Australian Sports Commission, said children could be wanting to model their own parent’s gym habits, with fitness/gym the number one physical activity for adults nationally.

“The gym absolutely can provide children the ability to learn about their limbs and muscles but what it doesn’t do is give you a team environment. It is not a play space,” Ms Palmer said.

Fiona Brooks, Professor of Public Health at the University of Technology in Sydney said families could save on that $40 million-a-year figure by getting outside and exercising together rather than in a gym.

“Sending kids to the gym might be putting pressure on them that is just not necessary. I would say running together in a park with your child is much better for them than running on a treadmill,” she said.

Jet, 10, uses maximum effort on the dumb bells. Picture: David Caird

Mum-of-three Kathy Hutton, 47, has been sending her three children sons Luke, 10, and Campbell, 14, and daughter Brooklyn, 15, to a crossfit gym for weekly workouts for over a year.

Children from the age of 5 lift kettlebell weights, upwards of 2kg, and participate in exercises and active games at the gym.

Mrs Hutton pays $180 for a 10-session pass per child but prices can rise higher than this at other gyms.

“It is quite an investment but I wish I’d found it sooner,” Melbourne-based Mrs Hutton said.

“The improvements we have seen in the kids are remarkable. Kids just aren’t taught how to use their bodies properly these days and develop core strength and this really gives them that.”

Troy Walker, YMCA Health and Wellness Manager, said demand for youth gym memberships was at a high.

“The reality is that not all young people are interested in playing footy or netball so YMCA gyms provides a real opportunity for them to get active and develop healthy habits for life,” he said.

Not all kids enjoy team sports, so parents are finding other alternatives. Picture: iStock

The AusPlay report found a total of $1 billion was spent on boys’ activity in 2017 and $1.1 billion on girls’ activity.

This was down from a $2.5 billion total spend in 2016.

Some say this might be due to parents shifting away from more expensive activities to cheaper sports or taking advantage of state-based government sport rebates.

Others say it is down to parents asking for more discounts and shopping around for the best priced clubs as cost of living pressures bite.

Nicole Lessio, acting executive director at The Parenthood, said parents were doing all they could to save money and sport was no exception.

“Basically people don’t have the sorts of cash that they once did and as the cost of living goes up parents are looking around at different clubs and codes and seeing the cheapest and easiest way they can get their kids participating in sport,” she said.

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