| There are many families that spend a great deal of | | | | My husband fishes and hunts. This means that our |
| money on sports gear. My family is one of them. It | | | | budget for sports gear needs to include him as well. |
| seems that each week there is another trip to the | | | | The sports gear that he is involved with does get |
| store to buy sports gear for one of my children. | | | | handed down to the children, as he purchases new |
| Between the children's school activities and my | | | | equipment. The sporting gear industry is very good |
| husband's love of the outdoors, we purchase sports | | | | at creating new and improved equipment on a regular |
| gear throughout the year. | | | | basis. This insures that the sportsman is always |
| The schools used to provide sports gear that the | | | | making additional purchases. It seems that several |
| children participate in. Budget cuts and decreased | | | | times each week we have catalogs in the mail that |
| funding for sports now makes purchasing the | | | | are filled with sports gear. The sports equipment |
| responsibility of each participant. This is difficult for | | | | listed in these catalogs ranges from basic fishing and |
| some families on a tight budget and it may mean | | | | camping equipment to extremely specialized |
| that their child will not participate in an activity | | | | merchandise. My husband's eyes light up like a child's |
| because the family cannot afford the sports gear. | | | | at Christmas when he gets one of these catalogs |
| Most schools do have scholarships that help with the | | | | specializing in sports gear. |
| cost of the gear for sports, but this is often | | | | There are merchants available that handle used |
| embarrassing for the student so they choose not to | | | | sports gear. This can be a great alternate way to |
| participate. | | | | purchase equipment for a child that is trying a sport |
| Of the sports gear that we purchase the most | | | | for the first time. This way you can avoid a huge |
| expensive is hockey equipment. Hockey skates alone | | | | financial commitment only to find out your child does |
| are very expensive and with growing teenage boys | | | | not like that particular sport. Some of the used |
| the skate size often changes during one season. We | | | | sports gear stores will purchase equipment or sell it |
| are on first name basis with the owner of the | | | | on commission. This is a good way of getting rid of |
| hockey equipment business since we spend so much | | | | sports gear that you may have accumulating in |
| time and money in his store. An additional cost for | | | | storage areas. |
| sports gear involves apparel. Often times you do not | | | | Ian Botham (No Relation!) runs his own mail order |
| have to shop for the apparel, but you do have to | | | | business as well as running several sports based |
| pay the school for the uniforms. This is usually a | | | | websites. His particular speciality is sports articles. |
| rental fee, because the player does not get to keep | | | | Visit his website which is full of Sports Gear ideas. |
| it. | | | | |