Your child begged to join the travel soccer team, dance company, gymnastics program, or music lessons, and you paid hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars to make it happen. Now, halfway through the commitment, your child wants to quit, leaving you frustrated about the money, the commitment, and the lesson quitting might teach. The financial stakes are increasingly significant: the Aspen Institute’s Project Play found that the average U.S. sports family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46% from 2019. When a child wants to quit, however, the amount you paid should be only one factor in deciding what happens next.
