DE PERE, Wis. (NBC 26) — For the Weckwerth family, sports are life.
“They have been involved in sports since they could walk,” said Tiffany Weckwerth, mother of three boys.
“We started playing baseball at the age of four and hockey shortly thereafter,” added Brett Weckwerth, a junior at De Pere High School. “We haven’t stopped playing since then.”
The De Pere family has three boys: Jake, a high school senior; Brett, a high school student; and Łukasz, fifth grader.
The three of them grew up playing three sports, which means a lot of commitment for Tiffany and Matt: their mom and dad.
“During hockey season, I always tell people we won’t see each other between October and March,” Tiffany laughed. “I think we have three weeks off (all year).”
Parents estimate they have attended nearly 1,700 games over the past decade.
That is much time. And also a lot of money.
“Hockey fees are about a thousand dollars per player,” Tiffany said. “So that’s something we budget for. I really, really learned how to budget.”
“Nights in hotel rooms, meals and such, and fuel for the commute definitely come in handy,” added Matt, the family man.
Youth sports have become massive business. 2022 study by The Aspen Institute estimates that American families spend a total of $30 to $40 billion annually on youth sports, with the average family paying almost $900 for one child’s primary sport.
The Weckwerths say they are on the lower end of the scale compared to some families they know.
“They’re tournament teams – you know, we travel a little bit – but we never go out of state,” Tiffany said. “We are doing it by design. We don’t join leagues that go far. We wanted to keep our products local just because we are so busy.”
The family says they chose to go against more competitive, big-money club teams for several reasons.
“We carefully selected the clubs we wanted our children to be a part of,” Tiffany said. “I often see parents who, in a sense, live vicariously through their children.
“I don’t even want to drive this baby home that night after the game because dad is screaming in the stands the whole time,” she added.
“You want it to be fun,” Matt said. “Doing all these things obviously has a cost and a time commitment.
“Family is number one for us,” added the father. “I’m in no way saying it’s wrong to do things like that, it just didn’t fit our lifestyle.”
Instead, they say they focus on the overall experience and lessons that can be learned from youth sports.
“I think the ultimate goal was just to raise really good people,” Tiffany said. “And I think we handled it pretty well.”
“I’m a realist,” Matt said. “What are the chances of a child receiving a college scholarship to play sports, let alone pursue a professional career? The chances are extremely small. “It should focus more on them learning from life, enjoying what they do and becoming better people.”
This news moved their sons.
“I have no intention of playing professional sports anywhere,” said De Pere High School senior Jake Weckwerth. “You play primarily for fun, without team chemistry or the bonds you create with your teammates.”
“Without the joy you derive from success in sports, it would not be worth playing,” he added.
For mom and dad, it’s time and money well spent.
“It’s a great experience for me,” Matt said. “And I’m just incredibly proud of my boys. I think they are great youthful men and I can’t wait to see what they do in the future.
After graduation, Jake plans to attend UW-Madison to study mechanical engineering.
A 2014 NCAA study estimates that of the more than seven million high school athletes, only 6% go on to play an NCAA sport and only 2% receive a scholarship.
According to a study, only 2% of people who play NCAA sports go on to play professional sports.
