How much does it cost to participate in club swimming?  After doing a little research online and comparing my findings to that of our own experience, I can definitely say, “it depends”.  I could get philosophical about the word “cost” by thinking about it in terms of the effort or sacrifice needed to achieve something, but I won’t.  For this post, I’m going to assume readers are interested in learning how much cash they’re going to shell out.

Each swimmer joining a USA Swimming-sanctioned club will pay a yearly registration fee of about fifty dollars.  (Members also receive six issues of USA Swimming’s Splash Magazine – which my kids fight over to see who gets to read it first – and a new member welcome kit.) Most clubs will have a yearly membership fee and monthly workout fees.  Swimmers competing in meets will pay a meet entry fee as well as individual event fees.  We can’t forget basic equipment and travel costs.  (Keep in mind, prices will vary depending on what part of the country you live in.) Here’s an approximate expense breakdown:

  • USA Swimming Registration Fee (per swimmer, per year) – $50
  • Membership Fee (per family, per year) – $100
  • Monthly Workout Fee (per swimmer) -
    • Novice/Beginner – $50
    • Elite – $75
  • Meet Entry Fee (per swimmer, per meet) – $3
  • Individual Event Fee (per swimmer, per meet, per event) – $3
  • Basic Individual Equipment -
    • Goggles – $16
    • Swim Cap – $10
    • Practice Suit
      • Girls – $50
      • Boys – $30
    • Kick Board – $12
    • Fins – $25
    • Pull Buoy -$10
    • Mesh Gear Bag – $8
  • Travel Costs – (It depends)
    • Hotel
    • Gas
    • Airfare

Here’s an example of what it would cost on average per year for a beginning swimmer:

Eleven year-old John has just joined a club swim team.  Total cost for his registration will be one hundred and fifty dollars.  He will be in the novice group, paying fifty dollars per month to swim (and here is the reason swimming is probably the best bang-for-your-buck as far as youth sports go) as many days per week as he chooses.  Most clubs offer practice EVERY DAY for each group.  You can swim once, twice or every day if you’d like!  He might not swim in a meet for a while, but he will need some equipment (suit, goggles, cap, kick board, pull buoy, and a mesh bag to carry it all in) for a total of about eighty six dollars.

An elite swimmer will pay the same registration and membership fees as John, except the monthly practice fee will be around seventy five dollars.  They will swim in several meets, some close to home and some out-of-town, and will probably spend more on advanced equipment, competitive suits, and other gear.  Obviously, the more a swimmer is involved in the sport, the more it will cost.

Is it more expensive to have your child participate in club swimming than other club sports such as baseball or volleyball?  Again, it depends.  In addition to their regular seasons, other sports fill in the gap with camps and clinics.  These are available for swimming, but with the opportunity to practice a few hours several times per week, most  kids feel like they spend plenty of time in the water.

Bottom line?  Participating in a club sport costs money.  Thankfully, there are several ways of introducing your child to sports that don’t cost a lot, like enrolling in summer recreational swimming. But if you’re looking for a healthy, challenging activity with a focus on both individual and team goals, you definitely get more for your dollar in club swimming.

Does it cost more or less to swim in your area? Post in the comments below what your average costs are!

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