I have now lived in 2 very soccer-heavy areas the last couple of years - St Louis and Northern Virginia. My oldest played for a select team at age 8-9 in St Louis and it cost us more than $1,000 for the year. We had to commit to 12 months of soccer and had to foot the costs of travel, extra uniforms, and more. When we moved to Virginia, we were told that there were "very affordable options that only cost $2,000-$3,000 per year". There are also select teams that charge upwards of $5,000.

Golf, on the other hand, recognized that they had a problem with the cost of their sport and getting young kids interested in the game. They created "The First Tee" program. My kids can sign up for weekly lessons for 6 weeks for $75 and they get sweet gear and range balls. All military kids and kids from lower socioeconomic groups are free and they provide free clubs to everyone. It's pretty dang cool.

I honestly don't know how a family with little money would play soccer in the two areas where I have lived. They have made it nearly impossible to play on a competitive team without having a bunch of money.