Adult Sports Are a Money Sink
Filed under: Money Management
Last night marked the opening night of our summer church softball league. I had a great night on the field with no errors - one “almost” double play and one unassisted double play - and I went 1-for-3 at the plate with one run and one walk. My team, on the other hand, had our collective butts handed to us. I believe they tallied enough runs in the first 3 innings of the first game to win both games of the double header.
With all the rain this Spring, we had few chances to practice as a team. Our opponent was a team of veteran players who had been together for years. Let’s just say that it wasn’t a good match-up for our first game as a team. Excuses aside, I had plenty of time to think about the game in general while watching one base runner after another pass me at shortstop. It gave me the chance to think about one event in particular leading up to the season…
After last season, both of my bats were trashed. One was flattened on the barrel and was basically useless; the other was dented badly, but will serve well enough as a back-up bat. But without a primary weapon at my disposal, I needed to go out and get some new hardware.
While shopping at the sporting goods store, I saw many different bats aimed at a number of different parties. I’m not a home run hitter by any sort - I’m more of a line-drive single hitter - so I didn’t need one of the “big guns” that cost well in excess of $300. But at the same time, I couldn’t get by with the low-end bat; they just don’t have enough power. In the end, I was able to pick up a new bat that should last me quite a few years for a shade over $100.
$100 for a few years of use isn’t a bad price for a bat and would be a reasonable price for walking out of the store. But, as you should know, that’s not exactly what happened…
While I was looking for a bat, I remembered that I was sorely lacking some sliding shorts and a protective cup. After 4 years of playing without those, I’ve ended up with many unnecessary and painful injuries that I might have avoided otherwise. (I’ll spare the gruesome details.) I was able to find a pair of shorts and a matching cup for $30. Considering that is a $30 insurance plan toward the ability to continue to procreate in the future, I find that to be a sound investment. I picked up my bat, shorts, and cup and headed toward the register.
But then a thing of beauty caught my eye: A clean, new glove with a great pocket and well-worked leather. In the back of my head I knew that I just bought a new glove a few years ago after my old one simply wore out, but I could take my eyes of this new mitt. I succumbed to temptation and slid my hand inside this marvel. Oh! How soft it felt! I imagined diving to snag a line drive in this thing; I envisioned dragging it through the dirt to pick up a hard-hit grounder; I lusted over its beautiful craftsmanship.
Then I came to my senses.
My love for the game was quickly being replaced by love for the equipment. Sure, I could buy a whole new outfit - shoes, socks, compression shorts, cup, pants, belt, glove, sunglasses, batting gloves, bat, and beyond - but I don’t need to. Buying all these things won’t make me perform any better (at least not relative to the total cost) and it certainly won’t make me enjoy the game more. Sure, I may look better, but these are simply tools and tools aren’t intended to make you look better.
I put down the glove, gathered up my necessary purchases, and quickly turned my back to the baseball section for fear of other distractions. I walked out of the store inflicting only about $150 in damage to the credit card, but I know it could have been much worse if I had let myself run wild.
Sports, but particularly adult sports, can really eat up a great deal of money if you let them. Some people buy a new driver every month because they think it’ll improve their golf game. Others buy a $300 bat because they want to hit a ball over a fence. And still others spring for a regulation height steel-and-fiberglass basketball goal to embed next to their driveway. In the end, it really boils down to what that money is buying. Is it buying you more stuff or more fun? For me, I think I’ll err on the side of fun, because I certainly don’t need more stuff.
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:36 am
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June 3rd, 2008 at 2:10 pm
At least it’s a healthy hobby and not binging on ice cream or something :)
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I play hockey and it’s the same thing - lots of expensive equipment. Currently most of my stuff is old but I’m going to have to upgrade (slowly I hope).
As Jim said - it is a healthy hobby. Too many people just stop playing sports once they become “adults” and their expanding waistlines are the final result.
Mike
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
You havent seen the prices for cyclists yet! My bike, which I got for a steal at 40% off, was still $800. I had a helmet, til puppy ate it, $40. Add in pedals ($100), shoes ($100), shorts ($50-100 each), jerseys ($25-50each),computer ($20), tubes, tires, etc and it really really adds up. Now in just the last month I have put over 500 miles on my bike, but I also had to purchase new tires ($34 each) so I feel that i am getting my money’s worth. I also have some awesome rides planned for this summer but that is going to take travel money as well.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Gypsie,
That’s why I bought my new bike for $300 and my helmet at Target! :) I’ll stick with my stock pedals, tennis shoes, khaki shorts, and t-shirts. But, unlike you, I only put in about 28 miles in the last month due to rain (4 mile round trip on my commute).
I certainly envy your ability/availability to ride so much. I would love it if I could ride anywhere in town safely, but it’s dangerous enough in the 2 miles to work.
June 4th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Great blog you’ve got here. I always enjoy reading it.
My problem is with outdoor gear. New tents, pots and pans for camping, hiking shoes, socks, and anything else that looks neat for camping trips. I normally get out without buying anything, but sometimes the inevitable happens. I had never been in a REI store until a few weeks ago, and somehow made it out without spending a penny! Keep up the good writing.
June 4th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I play inline hockey and I bike (200-300 miles/month). I never pay retail and I tend to stock up when things are on sale. Every week I check the online shops to see if anything is on clearance. If something I need is on clearance, typically wheels, replacement blades, … I ask my team mates if they’d like to go along for a bulk purchase (saves on shipping). For the bike I tend to buy good stuff already so I’m not tempted by upgrade fever. I also try to match the equipment to my skill level. For instance, paying an extra $1000 to get a bike that lighter by 2lbs is crazy since I can drop 2 lbs of body weight for free. On the other hand, I’m fast enough to justify a 105/ultegra combination on the drive train, but certainly not dura-ace, whereas sora would be a pain.
Also, I try to spend money on rink-time instead of say new gloves as practice tends to improve my game much better than new equipment (a guy that plays three times a week in crap/entry equipment beats a guy that plays once a week in pro equipment - a fancy toe drag with a cheap stick looks better than a whiff with a composite any day :-) ). Same goes with the biking. Nothing better than zooming past a skinny legged rider in full team wear whose wheels alone cost more than my bike :O)
June 4th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Caveman,
I live in a year-round sunny place, TX, and a semi-small town (100,000). There are tons of great places for biking around here. And my summer rides, that I am already signed up for are a 66 mile ride (tour de burma), a 471 mile ride in 7-days (RAGBRAI), and a century ride (Hotter N Hell 100).
Oh yeah, and my bike didnt come with pedals!
I really really enjoy your blog!