​We know costs are severely affecting families whose kids play youth sports. But to what extent are those costs taxing us?A new poll of parents, conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by national nonprofit Good Sports released Thursday, Sept. 17, says 68% of parents of kids under 18 who’ve had a child in sports say they have seriously considered pulling them out.“The 2026 Good Sports Cost of Play Index” suggests that cost is the top reason parents, even those from households where the annual income is more than $100,000, are thinking about taking their kids out of youth sports.The poll, conducted online within the United States among 574 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, found that 26% cite the unsustainable cost as the top reason they have thought of pulling their kid out of sports, ahead of injury concerns (24%), a child’s lack of enjoyment (23%), poor coaching (23%) and a negative team environment (22%).“Affordability is not just a side issue for some families and underserved communities only,” Christy Keswick, co-founder and president of Good Sports, told USA TODAY after her organization shared the survey with us before its publication.“It’s really becoming central to whether families can continue to put kids into sports,” she says.This is the second poll that Good Sports, which helps provide equipment and access for kids in high-need areas, and Harris have undertaken to unpack the rising costs of youth sports, following up one from 2024. The latest results, Keswick says, drive home the points that parents are getting increasingly worried about the cost and more likely to pull out because of it than they were two years ago.“We’ve been in a fairly high inflationary environment for the last 5 to 6 years,” Keswick says. “So there are costs that just hit across the board. But then there’s the cost of the product that’s out there just changing.“What used to be a localized program for 100 bucks is now your options are $3,000, $5000 or not playing on a team that’s competitive or sustainable for a long term in the town. And that’s what’s concerning for us for sure.”Some more figures from the Cost of Play Index:53% of parents are worried they will not be able to afford sports for their child next year.77% believe the growth of private clubs and travel teams risks is pricing many children out of participation.67% say there has been a decrease in low-cost or public-school youth sports opportunities over the last five years, while 56% say there are not enough viable recreational or intramural youth sports options available locally.What do these numbers mean for us? How can we help combat the rising costs? We spoke with Keswick and Jayne Greenberg, a former longtime school district administrator who specializes in helping keep kids active, to help find answers.What’s at stake with the risings costs of youth sports?Keswick sees both financial ends of the system. She is a sports mom in the Boston area who participated in the c