Children’s sports fees vary sharply between clubs

Parents in Iceland can face sharply different bills for children’s handball and basketball, depending on the club where their children train. A comparison by ASÍ found that annual fees can exceed 175,000 krónur for handball and 180,000 krónur for basketball.

The comparison examined published fees from clubs across Iceland for three age groups: children aged 6-7, 10-11 and 14-15. Costs generally increased for older children, but fees also differed substantially among clubs serving children of the same age.

In handball, Þór Akureyri had the lowest fee in all three age groups examined, followed by KA. For 6-7-year-olds, Þór charged 69,000 krónur, compared with 112,500 krónur at Fram. Among 10-11-year-olds, the gap stretched from 85,000 krónur at Þór to 161,650 krónur at Fram. For 14-15-year-olds, Þór charged 105,000 krónur, while Fjölnir had the highest fee at 176,060 krónur.

The differences also appeared within Reykjavík. For 10-11-year-olds, handball cost 105,000 krónur at Fylkir and 161,650 krónur at Fram. For 14-15-year-olds, fees ranged from 149,000 krónur at Víkingur to 176,060 krónur at Fjölnir.

Basketball showed a similar pattern. ASÍ doubled autumn fees when clubs did not publish annual prices, presenting them as estimated full-year costs. For 14-15-year-olds, Hamar had the lowest published annual fee at 97,000 krónur, while Stjarnan had the highest at 182,187 krónur, a difference of 85,187 krónur. Municipal leisure grants reduce the cost, but their impact varies by club and place of residence. Training frequency and included services may also differ.