More than 50% of parents in Ireland have declined to enrol their children in sports or activities due to rising costs, prompting initiatives like Aviva’s boot-swap programme to ease financial pressure and encourage participation.
More than half of parents in Ireland have turned down a sport or activity for their child because of the cost, according to research commissioned by Aviva Ireland, underscoring the pressure rising participation fees are placing on family budgets.
The survey of 750 parents and guardians found that 51% had decided against enrolling a child in sport or another activity on cost grounds. Four in five said those expenses were squeezing household finances, while nearly a third described them as a major source of strain.
The biggest costs were club membership fees and sports clothing and kit, each named by 36% of respondents. Sports footwear such as boots and trainers followed at 33%, with travel costs at 30% and registration fees at 29%. The findings also suggest the squeeze is affecting participation itself: 17% said they had considered taking a child out of a sport because of the expense, and 13% had not signed a child up for a new activity for the same reason.
Aviva said the research was carried out to support the launch of ReBoot with Aviva, a nationwide boot-swap initiative run with the Football Association of Ireland. The free community programme allows families to hand in outgrown football boots so they can be passed on to other children through participating schools and clubs, helping to lower the cost of taking part in grassroots football.
Caroline Cummins, sponsorship manager at Aviva Ireland, said football was important in young people’s lives because it helps them stay active, build confidence and feel part of their local community. But she said the research showed that cost was becoming a barrier for many families.
The launch also builds on a broader concern within women’s and girls’ sport. Aviva’s wider partnership with the FAI includes “In Her Boots”, an education programme aimed at volunteers working with girls aged nine to 16. Aviva says the initiative is designed to support retention in the game at a time when girls are more likely than boys to drop out of sport in their early teens.
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