Sports expenses: Field Hockey

Sports expenses: Field Hockey

Isabella Forte

 When playing sports at Hamburg Area High School, students can make new friends and memories. When getting dedicated to a particular sport, athletes tend to focus on the equipment that they use and the quality of it. For field hockey, these expenses can include a stick, gloves, a mouth guard, grip wrap, and practice ball. The average price for a basic stick is around $150-$300, for higher quality sticks, it costs around $200-$300 dollars. Practice balls cost $5 for one ball. In order to practice hitting and drive skills, players need at least three to four balls, so they are able to perfect their technique without having to retrieve the ball over and over. Players who are goalies have to spend the most. One whole set on the cheaper end costs up to $550, and this does not include the expense of a goalie stick. Most of the girls who play as goalie usually just use a regular and cheap stick because they will not have to worry about playing the field, and it is very rarely that goalies use their stick while in the goal.      

      Field hockey also offers travel teams. One of the most known being High Styx. To join the team, it costs a little over $100. You also must try out and get a uniform from them. Cost not provided. 

      For most Hamburg sports, a lot of the team equipment is free to use and provided by the school. Athletes who can not afford the proper equipment are still able to play with the equipment provided. For field hockey, sticks are available if athletes are unable to afford them. For goalies, there is team gear that players are able to use and pick from. Hamburg understands that nobody should be discouraged from playing a sport only because of cost and offers opportunity to students who are unable to provide certain purchases.