Look at sports versus Mathnasium from a cost/benefit perspective.
Children’s extra-curricular activities aren’t cheap. Parents pay for lessons because they believe their children will benefit from these experiences. An informal parent survey provided the typical costs of popular activities.
· Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts: $600 per year
· High School team sport like soccer, baseball, football, tennis: $600 per season
· Club Basketball: $2,000 per season
· High School Band: $1,000 per season
· Club Swimming: $2,400 per year
· Cheer, martial arts, gymnastics and dance lessons $2,500 per year
· Club Ice skating and Ice Hockey: $3,000
· Private music lessons: $4,600 per year
· High School Cheer or Pom/Dance squad: $5,000 per year
If your child is involved in a sport at a competitive level (versus a recreational level) those expenses skyrocket. Competitive programs require extra funds for private lessons, specialized equipment, travel, and uniforms. Over $5,000 per year is common.
Cost of Mathnasium of Cambridge
Mathnasium members have several different options available. We have summer memberships, year-long memberships and private session. Most of our prices end up at less than $25 per hour of attendance. Plus, we have 3 office staff focused on customizing curriculum, even when your student isn't in attendance we are discussing the best learning plan for them. Your 5th grade child can come 12 times a month, for a year, for about $3,087 including registration, instruction, ongoing assessment and reevaluation, parent meetings and all materials. Comparing the cost of Mathnasium to sports and other activities, Mathnasium is quite affordable. Comparing Mathnasium to private tutoring, Mathnasium is much less expensive.
Financial Benefits from Sports
Kids benefit from sports and activities by increased confidence, character building, sportsmanship, improved health, and great friendships. Do any of these activities have a direct bearing on their adult earning power? That’s difficult to say. Some say these skills do translate to better jobs, but the correlation is complex.
Financial Benefits from Mathnasium
Math achievement does have a direct impact on earning potential. Doing well in high school makes getting into univeristy and completing university easier. Going to University does have a huge impact on earning potential.
What About Scholarships?
Sports scholarships are almost impossible to get and difficult to keep. If your child will not get recruited by a Division 1 school for their chosen sport, any scholarship they get will only be a partial scholarship. Full ride scholarships are only given to the top men in football and basketball and the top women in basketball, gymnastics, tennis, and volleyball.
Academic scholarships are easier to get and keep than athletic scholarships. Colleges and private foundations annually award $50 billion in academic scholarships versus $3 billion of athletic scholarships.
Cost of NOT Getting Academic Help
No colleges require minimum athletic abilities to graduate. Most colleges do require minimum math skills to enter. Students lacking these skills end up in expensive remedial courses.
Your Choices
Investing in our children’s well-being and future success requires choices. Time and money limit children from participating in every beneficial opportunity. How you choose to invest in your child impacts their future. We thank the many families in the Cambridge area for trusting us to prepare their children for a great future.
Give us a call today and see how we can help: 519-623-6668
Outside resources referenced to write this article include:
//digitalcommons.iwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1023&context=parkplace
//www.businessinsider.com/high-school-math-performance-may-predict-your-future-salary-2013-11
//www.businessinsider.com/how-college-impacts-earning-potential-2014-10
//www.cbsnews.com/news/8-things-you-should-know-about-sports-scholarships/
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