How the all-in estimate is modeled
The posted programme fee, plus modeled travel, tournaments, kit and gear — always a range, always the lower figure when rules disagree.
Posted dues are usually 40–60% of what a family spends in a year. The estimated annual cost is a planning range built by this site, never a quote from the club, and it is always shown apart from the club's own posted fees.
It starts from a programme fee
An age group gets an estimate only when the club posts a programme fee for it: dues, registration or a training fee. A page with only a tryout or tournament fee shows those rows and says “programme fee not published” instead of a range.
What is added, and how
| Component | Source | How |
|---|---|---|
| Programme fee | Posted | Every mandatory fee the club posts, made annual |
| Travel | Modeled | By how far the club travels where known, else its level; then region and age |
| Tournaments | Modeled | Typical events a year for the level, entry plus travel, by region and age |
| Uniform and kit | Modeled | By level |
| Personal gear | Modeled | Cleats, ball, bag, shin guards |
The rules that shape it
- Age. Travel and tournaments scale ×0.75 for U8–U10, ×1 for U11–U13, ×1.15 from U14.
- Region. Travel and tournament costs carry a state modifier for hotels, fuel and distances; California runs about 20% above the national baseline.
- Per-event fees. “$35 per tournament” is multiplied by typical events a year: 2 recreational, 4 local, 6 regional, 8 national. One-off charges such as a tryout fee are counted once.
- We never model what the club already charges for. A posted uniform, tournament or travel fee replaces the modeled line, and when the club says kit or tournaments are included, that line is dropped.
- Fully funded programmes (a posted $0 fee the club calls fully funded) model nothing beyond personal gear. A boarding academy's fee is tuition and covers everything, so nothing is modeled on top and it is left out of every median.
- When rules disagree, the lower figure wins. Overstating a club's cost is the more damaging error for a family deciding what it can afford.
Not included
Private training, ID camps, position-specific coaching and team extras such as socials and photos. Families report these add $500–$3,000 or more a year.
How medians are counted
State, league and national medians are medians of the modeled midpoints, one per club, and only competitive programme fees count: U10 and older, not recreational. A figure needs three clubs; the count is shown either way.
Model v2.1-gear-by-level · what changed
- Every estimate records the version that produced it.
- v2: age scaling; travel by distance over level; per-event fees annualized; posted charges replace modeled ones.
- v2.1: personal gear by level; a “season” is one charge a year unless the club says otherwise.
Quick answers
- Is the estimated annual cost a quote from the club?
- No. It is a planning range built by this site: the club's posted programme fee plus modeled travel, tournaments, uniforms and gear for that level, region and age. The club's own posted fees are always shown separately from it.
- What is not in the estimate?
- Private training, ID camps, position-specific coaching and team extras such as socials and photos. Families report these add $500 to $3,000 or more a year.
Updated September 12, 2026