Nicole LaFountain wants her kids to try lots of activities, so her daughter, 11, and son, 9, have dabbled in swimming, karate, gymnastics, soccer, lacrosse, T-ball and hockey. But there’s a downside to playing multiple sports: Many require specialized equipment, and the costs add up quickly.
Her son, for example, recently outgrew his hockey skates three weeks before the end of the season. She searched for a used pair, but she found nothing near her home in Waterford, Conn., and there were no hand-me-downs available from friends or family. She ended up driving an hour to a specialty store and paying $600 for a new pair. “Would the skates fit next season? Maybe. Maybe not,” she says. “But what do you do? It’s crazy!”
