It is no secret that sports are expensive. Families in America spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on youth sports. Winter sports in particular tend to be extremely costly. Content contributor, Serenity Liessmann, interviewed Joel Grace, President of Reno Ice, to get a clearer picture of how families can still participate in sports with a little number of finances.

When putting your kids into sports, many have to consider the equipment cost, fees, and travel costs. This adds up quickly. Specifically, in the area where Reno Ice is, travel is a major factor.

There is no full-time rink in Reno, Nevada. So, the residents of Reno and the surrounding areas have to travel at least an hour to Tahoe. The area is a winter sport driven community because of the proximity to snowboarding and skiing. However, the community still lacks a community rink.

Many families have to dedicate at least one whole day to go to Tahoe to play sports. Tahoe provides youth and adult hockey leagues. But the travel time and cost have pushed out many potential kids.

Reno Ice is hoping to change that. By providing a non-profit community ice rink, this will allow many kids to try winter sports they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try. This can cover things from hockey to figure skating. Their program is going to cancel the potential costs of equipment and travel.

Their programs are going to welcome in a new wave of winter athletes. If people look for non-profit sports organizations to either participate in or donate to, then sports can continue to grow.

Being able to provide kids with the opportunity to play sports gives them a new community to call home. Programs like the NHL’s Learn-to-Play and the NFL’s Play 60 are important to continue providing.

The NHL had recently announced the expansion of its youth programs and scouting to continue growing opportunity.

Kids will be able to grow in healthy environments that may give them a completely different life of opportunity.

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Hopefully, this continues to be a trend that will grow. If it does, then cost can become a minimal factor in youth sports. The communities need to pitch in to help the families that don’t have the financial means to participate.

If you can and want to, don’t forget you can donate to the Reno Ice organization on their website. The money will go to a good cause.