The rising costs of playing sport are chasing kids off the fields, depending on what field you’re playing.
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With a combination of registration, insurance, not to mention the various gear and protective clothing, some sports in Dubbo are on the decline.
“Costs have definitely reduced numbers in soccer over the last few years,” local soccer coach Wayne Burge said.
“Last year I had 18 girls in a soccer team, this year I have six.”
The girls that play in the Western region competition have to travel to train twice a week and to play on the weekend.
“Kids are definitely disadvantaged in the bush,” Mr Burge said. “To compete at a high level they have to travel. Kids I train don’t only come from Dubbo but from as far as Gilgandra, Coonamble and Forbes to train in Bathurst.
“A few years ago the parents and families would come down to watch kids play, we’d stay in a hotel, out to dinner. Now people car pool, bring their own sandwiches and stay in the cheapest accommodation they can find.”
The government provides a lot of money to elite level sports, but Mr Burge asked about the kids who just wanted to have fun.
“I have kids who ride up to the sports centre on their push bikes begging me for a shot at basketball or bowl of cricket,” he said.
Rugby League does not seem to be suffering so much.
“The work gets harder everyday,” president of Dubbo and district junior rugby league Neil Milgate said.
“We have managed to keep costs down to a minimum, it does help that the club is in a pretty good financial state and we get a lot of sponsorship.
“We try to help the parents out as much as possible. The Country Rugby league have been really good, they have managed to bargain down insurance prices.”
In order to have a diverse competition you have to compete outside of Dubbo.
“There is travel costs when we play in Cobar Nyngan and Narromine,” Mr Milgate said
“There is not enough people to make a soccer team in Dubbo, so you need to travel, otherwise you would have a team that covers a four year age group from 12 years to 16 years.
“I often think $1000 could help a kid play sport for a year, these kids are the ones getting Dubbo recognised.
“They spend all that money on an airport sign, how about selecting a few kids and giving it to them.” to play sport?”
