Investing in your children’s future was and is always seen as a college fund or backing for their first entrepreneurial venture after school. What is mainly overseen (except for a selected few parents) is the vast potential in sports. School sports, to be exact. Even starting at the young age of four, you can begin investing in their potential future.
The Next Rafael Nadal
Tennis lessons can range from around $35 for 30minutes to $60 for an hour. But are private lessons worth it? Even if you are a beginner or know the basics, private lessons can teach you to refine your technique and show you better moves that will take your game to the next level. Then we move on to the rackets. For beginners, the rackets will be under $100 and work your way up to an advanced level where your racket will knock a good old $150 and more out of your wallet. You can choose between many brands, but the top seven are Dunlop, Prince, Tecnifibre, Yonex, Head, Babolat, and then the shining star Wilson. But what can your possible return on investment be? Well, there are eight major tennis tournaments from Wimbledon to the U.S. Open. The winner at the Wimbledon gets a colossal cheque (figuratively too) of $2 399 520. And that doesn’t include any endorsements or sponsors.
Splish Splash Gold Here We Come
Yourself or your child always love swimming in the pool? How you can develop this love into a profit is by taking private lessons for around $40. Although this is not a private coach level, it can teach you stronger strokes and better leg movement. Also, suppose you want to become a member of the organization for U.S. Swimming. In that case, the annual fee is $70, but be prepared to pay on top of that for any additional fees the LSC might throw your way.
On the other hand, to compete in competitive swimming, the costs can range between $90 to $500 per month. Just like any other sport, swimming is no different when it comes to brand gear. You can choose any of the top 10 to cover yourself, like Speedo, TYR, Arena, Adidas, Zoggs, Finis, Nike Swim, and M.P. Ok, so you got the skills, but what are the possible pay-out? Taking medals at the Olympics is more than the pride, honor, and weight of the metal. The bronze medal will increase your bank account by $15 000, silver ups the amount to $22 500. But the gold doesn’t just shine brighter. It also increases your earnings to $37 500. Suppose you are not competing or practicing for the Olympics. In that case, the APA (Athlete Partnership Agreement) will ensure that your bank account gets to fatten up with $40 000 per year. Doesn’t sound too glorious, right? Well, think about this: Micheal Phelps (the former Olympic swimmer) is worth $80 million. Still, out of that, $1.9 million was earned from his direct winnings in the pool.
Go Long!
While sitting in the bleachers of one of the best football fields in the country, Lambeau Field, you look over at your 4-year-old son and see the pure joy in his eyes. You already know that there is a footballer in the making, but how can you give a helping hand? A professional trainer will rake you up between $40 to $90 an hour. Although there are many benefits to putting in the extra greens behind your child, like possible football scholarships to various colleges and universities. So the investment’s pay-off is enormous if you take into consideration how much college tuition is today. Yes, many schools give their football players the gear to play in games, but just for interest’s sake, the average cost to kit a player is between $800 to $1000. And let’s not forget the reputation points your child will earn if he makes the team in school. Some things never change. It doesn’t matter the generation. Moving forward, a starting rookie earns a minimum of $435 000. Not too bad, but the median salary is around $860 000. Looking better, but here is where you see your son at. The sweet spot, with a salary of over $2 million. This all depends on the amount of publicity the player brings.
Aim And Dunk
One thing your family is, and that is tall. The genes in your blood really stretch your kids, which makes playing backyard basketball so much fun. Ball after ball slams through nothing but the net, and that makes you already think about signing them up to the school’s basketball team. You can always get them one-on-one basketball lessons but be prepared for the costs. It can range from $20 to $100 for up to 75 minutes per lesson, two to three times a week. You already know that the basketball your kids are playing outside is around $30 to 70, but what scares you the most is how much the trainers will cost. Sure, you can go out and buy the Jordans for $200 and up, but Hyperfuse can accomplish the job just as well, and the price tag ($45 to $100) can let you breathe a bit easier. All good and well, but what can you expect from these investments? Not only can you kids get in the running for a basketball scholarship to a college, but if they go NBA level, let’s just say, hope you are sitting down. Not only one of the four major sports leagues in the country, but there are also over 30 teams in the league. With a top salary seen as the limit, Stephen Curry sits comfortably with $45 780 966.
Bend It Like Beckham
Kicking a ball around and fancy footwork is all mesmerizing, but even that passion can be cultivated into stardom. Private soccer training can cost you between $60 to $200 per hour. The considerable spring in price is due to the level of experience you would like your kids to learn from. Not saying that it will be frowned upon if you go for the low-end, which might be a good idea, especially if your kids are only at beginner level. You can look at it as any video game you might play at home. Once you see the potential, you can level up to a more experienced trainer. The same can be said for soccer cleats. You can go all out and spend $250 for a beginner player, or instead start at the lower end of the price range of $150. The best brands are Adidas and Nike. Although it was always a predominantly male sport, females are starting to rise up in the ranks and raking in quite a hefty check. With a salary per season of between $25 000 and $85 000 for female soccer players, it does become an eye-catching career path for the ladies. On the other hand, if the guys go pro, you can look at a salary between $14 441 and $384 204. But the real aspiration is to become the next Carlos Vela with a salary of $4.5 million and total compensation of $6.3 million.
You might be pumped to see those figures and the potential for the future. Looking at your kids and imagining the next Green Bay Packers quarterback, Lionel Messi, Carli Lloyd, or even LeBron James. If you had a crystal ball at your disposal and you knew what the future would hold, how much would you invest in them?