> I did youth soccer in an expensive city as a kid (close to 20 years ago now) I had early kids in lots of activities 20+ years ago. I did not do the same for

> I did youth soccer in an expensive city as a kid (close to 20 years ago now) I had early kids in lots of activities 20+ years ago. I did not do the same for my later kids because most everything we found was massively more expensive. Talking to parents who were involved, I learned a lot about how things changed. Modern activities really weren't the same offerings we had had. What was informal had become formal. Activities required a much larger time commitment. Volunteers had become professionals. Coaching was a world more serious. Transportation was formalized. Things like shared gear seemed to have gone away. Even the designed uniforms where more expensive than coverings we had bought. It had become cheaper for my younger kids to visit Belize and Alaska than to compete.