Parents Spend £443 a Year Funding Children’s Sporting Dreams

• Children try an average of three sports a year¹

• On average, hockey is the most expensive hobby (£460), followed by dance (£395) basketball (£372), tennis (£359) and gymnastics (£350)

• Almost two thirds (65%) of parents place no financial limit on supporting their children’s athletic pursuits, though more than one in five (21%) regret how much they’ve spent

 DISTRIBUTED-WORK-MODEL/LONDON, 30 June 2025 – Parents are digging deep to support their children’s sporting ambitions, spending £443 a year, on average.²

 The new research, commissioned by Clearpay, a leader in Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), coincides with the brand’s support of select players in their matches during this year’s Wimbledon tournament. Popular events like Wimbledon have motivated nearly a quarter of children (24%) to try a new sport. And, when it comes to tennis specifically, more than a third of parents (37%) say that watching the iconic British tournament inspired their children to pick up a racquet for the first time.

The research of 2,000 parents with children under the age of 18, reveals the financial realities behind raising young athletes. Parents with children who participate in organised sport say their child or children try an average of three sports per year, with football (62%), swimming (42%), and dance (20%) the most popular. 

When it comes to cost, hockey leads the pack, with annual average spending hitting £460. Dance (£395) and basketball (£372) are the next most expensive sports, followed by tennis (£359) and gymnastics (£350).³ On average, the biggest sporting outgoings are lessons and coaching (£81), specialist kit (£67), and footwear, including football boots and trainers (£66). Travel (£62), club memberships (£59) and equipment (£43) also adds to parents’ budgets.

Despite these costs, nearly two-thirds (65%) of parents say they place no financial limit on how much they’ll spend to support their child’s sporting journey.

The study found more than a quarter of parents (27%) have used a Buy Now, Pay Later service to help spread the payment of these costs. Other ways parents are funding these sporting goals is by prioritising them over the purchase of non-essential items (63%) and their own health and fitness journeys (59%).

The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has also had an impact, with more than half of parents (53%) saying it has limited the number of sports their child can try. More than one in five (21%) parents also admit they regret how much they’ve spent on sporting activities their children have since given up.

Rich Bayer, UK Country Manager at Clearpay, comments: “Parents are committed to giving their children access to different sports, which inevitably comes with a price tag. Our research shows that they are taking a responsible approach to paying for these sporting passions – whether that’s cutting back on expenditure in other areas, or using Buy Now, Pay Later products to spread costs and manage their spending.  

“Ultimately, this investment will hopefully create a generation of people with a lifelong love of sport and active lifestyles.”

ENDS

¹Clearpay commissioned Opinium research to conduct a survey of 2,000 parents with children aged between 5-17 between 13th June – 20th June 2025. It found that parents are funding and organising an average of three sports a year across all their children who play sports.

²The total average cost to parents for funding children’s sports in a 12-month period is £443.40, The total average spend (£443.40) represents the combined average amount parents report spending each year across eight categories: clothing, equipment, footwear, lessons/coaching, club memberships, travel, competition/entry fees, and sports insurance/medical fees. Based on responses from 1,596 parents who have at least one child playing sports.

³The top ten most expensive sports, included in the survey, for parents whose children participate in the sport are as follows: Hockey (£460.40), Dance (£395.10), Basketball (£372.10), Tennis (£358.60), Gymnastics (£349.80), Rugby (£317.60), Swimming (311.80), Football (£291.70), Cricket (£253.50), Athletics (£232.70).

About Clearpay

Clearpay is transforming the way we pay by allowing anyone to buy products immediately and pay over time – enabling simple, transparent, and responsible spending. We are on a mission to power an economy in which everyone wins.

Clearpay is known as Afterpay outside the UK and is available in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. It is offered by thousands of the world’s favourite retailers and used by millions of active global customers. Clearpay is a wholly owned subsidiary of Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ).