Shameful! Why is the state fleecing parents of young athletes? Prices have risen elevenfold

The start of the sports season now brings parents of young athletes another major expense. Alongside club fees, equipment, travel and competitions, they face sharply higher prices for mandatory medical examinations.

The examinations have become somewhat more extensive, while the number of annual checks has fallen from two to one. Yet the price has risen seven to eleven times compared with the period when the euro was first introduced. A single examination can now cost €70, €80 or €90. For a family with three children, the annual bill reaches €240, or €80 per child.

The Croatian Footballers’ Trade Union has warned about the increase, but the article says the state and the Croatian Olympic Committee have so far remained silent and offered no solution. The criticism focuses on the lack of evidence that the new examinations provide better quality despite their much higher cost.

The article suggests that the new rules have primarily benefited the growing number of private sports clinics. Around 200,000 young athletes in Croatia must undergo the required examination, turning the checks into a major business. The examination, including a blood test, takes no more than 15 minutes, the article says.

Public health clinics that once offered cheaper examinations have also disappeared in recent years, leaving only a few with limited capacity. The Croatian Footballers’ Trade Union warns that parents already pay for membership fees, equipment, travel and competitions, and that each additional cost could push children out of sport, especially in larger families. The article asks why the state does not subsidize a check it requires, since it also says children’s health and participation in sport are priorities.

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Parents already pay membership fees, equipment, travel, competitions and many other costs. Each new expense increases the possibility that a child will give up sport, especially in families with several children.