Jaden Mitchell, sophomore, has been dancing at Renee Johnson’s Dance Studio since she was 2 years old and now also dances on Mystique. 

“Just on costumes, I spend about $800 or more,” Mitchell said. “Choreography fees are a solid $300 per dance, and I have about 10 dances.”

Hilary Levey Friedman, Harvard sociologist, studied parents of competitive dancers and found they spend between $5,000 and $10,000 a year on dance. 

Fees for Mitchell include choreography, costumes, shoes, entrance fees, and, every other year, a Nationals trip. Booking a hotel, gas or flights, food, and entrance fees are added to her expenses on Nationals years. 

Mitchell said it’s 100 percent worth it. 

“I feel sorry for my parents because, without me, they would be flooded with money,” Mitchell said. “But, they knew this was a possibility when they got me into dance.”

Studio dancing mainly differs from school dance in the sense that Mitchell has fewer dances with Mystique. Fewer dances means fewer costumes and fewer competition fees. 

Mitchell said that if she has the opportunity to, she will put her children in dance. 

“Growing up in the environment, I know that it’s worth it, and I’ve made my best friends just in general from dancing in a studio,” Mitchell said.

Colby Kupaks, junior, started playing hockey when he was four years old. He currently plays for Marquette j.v. and varsity as well as for the Chesterfield Falcons, a club team. 

Kupaks said the cost of hockey depends on the level played. 

“At the highest level, it probably costs $30,000 a year,” Kupaks said. “But, at a lower level, it’s around $10,000.”

He said hockey costs more than other sports because it requires a lot of equipment. 

“Sticks break easily and can cost $300 a piece, while you need two of them,” Kupaks said. “And skates cost around $1,000, so equipment is expensive.”

Kupaks doesn’t travel very far with his club team, so travel fees are minimal, but still about $2,000 per year. 

“The price is kind of high, but I get why it’s expensive,” Kupaks said. “It’s not like soccer where you have a ball. You need a lot of things to be able to play the spot.”

His parents both played hockey and his mom was a general manager, so they knew it would be expensive. 

Eisele Chiarelli, senior, started riding horses when she was 5 years old.  

For her, equestrian costs about $12,000 a year. Chiarelli works during the week and on weekends to pay for her sport, but her parents and grandparents help her as well. 

“I’m lucky to have financially stable parents and especially grandparents,” Chiarelli said.

Equestrians usually buy their own horse, which is what Chiarelli did. She bought her horse, Cap, straight off the track for $1,200. Cap is boarded in Labordie, MO where she practices.

Riding equipment price varies by brand, Chiarelli said. Her helmet cost about $800 and boots can be between $100-$800 a piece. 

Chiarelli said she doesn’t want her kids to go into equestrian sports because it’s so expensive. 

She also has to pay to compete. It costs about $500 to compete, and she competes twice a month. 

“It’s really rewarding,” Chiarelli said. “But, if you don’t have the time, commitment and the money, it’s definitely not a sport for you.”