According to the study, the most expensive children's sports hobbies are horse riding and figure skating and the least expensive floorball and Finnish baseball.

Today's parents may have to cough up as much as 90,000 euros for their child to pursue ice hockey as a hobby for ten years, reveals Drop-out or throw-out, a study published by the Ministry of Education and Culture on Tuesday.

Over the past ten years, the costs of hobbies, and especially competitive hobbies, have increased sharply, by up to 300 per cent. “To a degree, the situation is unsustainable,” laments principal lecturer Kari Puronaho, the author of Drop-out or throw-out.

Puronaho is concerned that several households will as a result no longer be financially able to allow their children to pursue the hobbies they want.

Kim Nurmi, a business-owner from Espoo, estimates that he and his wife spend roughly 5,000 euros on the hobbies of their children every year. Their 12-year-old son Anton plays ice hockey, and their daughters, 6-year-old Maria and 16-year-old Ida, both practice dance.

“Ida used to play the harp. A decent harp costs roughly 3,000 euros,” Kim Nurmi tells.

“At the turn of the year, we were in Canada for 11 days for a tournament with Anton's ice hockey team. For me and him, the trip cost roughly 5,000 euros. Luckily, it was possible to pay it in instalments.”

Indeed, Anton says that some of his team-mates opted against taking part in the tournament due to the costs. His father understands the decisions of other parents. “We have two providers,” he reminds.

In addition to costs, Puronaho points out, the number of training sessions of young athletes has increased over the past decade. Today, a teenage ice hockey player practices 250 times a year, whereas in 2001 junior ice hockey teams held an average of 137 training sessions.

“Today, training twice a week is rarely even a possibility,” says Puronaho.

Katja Boxberg, Laura Halminen – HS

Aleksi Teivainen – HT

© HELSINGIN SANOMAT

Photo: Sami Kilpiö / HS