Costs of elite sport: The sacrifices behind Bay of Plenty’s rising athletes
Young New Zealand athletes face significant financial hurdles, with families often investing six-figure sums to support international sporting ambitions. The article highlights the heavy reliance on parental sacrifice and fundraising to cover training and travel costs.
Why it matters
The high cost of elite youth sports creates barriers to entry, potentially limiting opportunities to those with significant financial backing.
Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.
A six-figure family investment, 40-hour work weeks alongside training, and years of fundraising.
Those are some of the hidden costs behind young New Zealand athletes pursuing opportunities on the world stage.
Whether it’s basketball in the United States, rowing at Oxford or competing against the world’s best runners, athletes and their parents say success comes down to “sacrifice” and “compromise”.
Former Rotorua Boys’ High School student Elijah Fonotia is a sophomore studying a business administration degree at Harford Community College in Maryland, US.
He’s in his second year with the college’s men’s basketball team and said the financial demands of basketball were evident at 16 after being selected for a tournament in Australia.
The trip cost a few thousand dollars, more than the $2000 his family had typically spent on basketball each year.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in