MLS NEXT IS A FUCKING PYRAMID SCHEME FOR SOCCER PARENTS - The American Dream if the Dream Was a Pay-to-Lose Scam

[Grace T.]

ballet is the worst of worst (worse than cheer, modern dance that you can use on a school dance team, or competitive ballroom), at least for girls at the highest levels. Pointe shoes at $80 a pop for some mediocre ones that last less than a week. Summers at fancy academies in places like Scottsdale to break into professional and top college academies. Private lessons at $100 a pop. Costumes that can run in the hundreds of dollars. Makeup in the $1000s. Cut throat competition that you have very little control over depending on how you come out of the puberty lottery. Friends daughter is out to one of those academies this summer….my jaw hit the floor but one of the girls from the academy last year did make a lead dancer with the royal swedish ballet and won u18 euro fest. Your reward is a short ballet career and then you get to teach little kids.

Ps the boys on the other hand are an entirely different story. If you are tall enough and hit the gym and take your creatine to build biceps you’ll be very in demand even with little talent, your equipment is inexpensive, your physique develops pretty quickly into the male ideal, some parents will pay you to dance with their daughters, and if you swing that way you get to handle the girls all day long. The leadership positions are all held by men so if you do have talent and drive you can make a career out of it.

 

[Socal-Soccer-Dad]

There is no incentive to lower price until participation drops.

100%.

And there's nothing wrong with it... from a willing provider of a service... to a willing buyer of that service...

I get it. We can all complain a little bit. More tongue in cheek than anything else. And it builds a bit of camaraderie among parents as we sit around and complain about getting up early and paying all these fees... but I think most are reasonable and know that we do it because our kids enjoy it and deep inside, we enjoy it too...

No one is forcing anyone to enroll their children in travel sports...