Have you bought a baseball glove for your Little Leaguer lately? Did you pay more than $100 for it?
How about a $250 bat?
A New York Times story headlined "Big Price Tags Attached to Even the Littlest Leagues," looks at the big business of equipping youngsters for participation in youth baseball and softball leagues, quoting those costs and more.
"A batting helmet protects tiny heads for $39.99," the Times reports. "A pair of Nike Jordan Black Cat cleats will make your child fast and fashionable at $51.99 until he or she outgrows them."
Equipment costs aren't the only drain on parents' pocketbooks, the Times notes. Registration fees and travel to tournaments also add up.
Here in Elk Grove, the Elk Grove Youth Sports Foundation provides scholarships so kids from low-income families aren't left out of the game. And advocates of building in town say it could save families from having to travel for miles to compete.
So what do you think? Does the high cost of playing ball exclude too many kids? Or have low-cost solutions, like scholarships and used equipment, been able to bridge the gap?
