Blind spenders? The social meaning of money in youth sport

This study explores parents’ views and practices regarding expenses in club-organized youth sport (OYS), inspired by Zelizer's theory of the social meaning of money. Our ambition is twofold: (a) to develop a typology of the meaning of money spent on teenage children's sport participation—from the parents’ point of view, and (b) to examine how the meaning of money (the typology) is anchored in social class and familiarity with sport. Our data material is qualitative interviews with 40 parents of teenagers in organized football and/or cross-country skiing. Through our analyses, we developed a three-fold typology: Blind spending encompasses not knowing the amount spent on their children's sport. The expenses are considered worthwhile irrespective of how much they are. Concerned spending encompasses spending what is considered necessary, but accompanied by some reflections and restrictions on the spending. Painful spending is far from blind and includes struggling to pay expenses. We conclude that the meaning of money in youth sport is both related to class and the available economic resources in the family, as well as the meaning families imbue sport with. Our study contributes to the understanding of social mechanisms behind class differences in sport participation.