Most popular budget sports clubs for kids revealed

Shoe Zone have looked at search data to reveal which sports have become more popular in 2021 and which are cost effective, looking at the cost of lessons and equipment required.

Demand for sporting clubs has seen a gigantic rise, with uncommon disciplines like Judo seeing a boost of more than 440 per cent on the previous summer.

Results showed:

•just £32 per month was enough to cover essential athletics coaching and equipment.

•demand for judo clubs reached an all-time high with searches increasing by more than 440% on last year’s figures.

Best budget sports for kids

Table tennis came in with the cheapest monthly costs at only £9 for essential lessons and equipment, while costs increase to £25 to become a rugby star.

Drawing on search volume data from the peak summer holiday periods, Shoe Zone identified a clear rise in the popularity of high impact sports, such as rugby and judo, as the nation begins to move away from a socially distanced society.

The cost of lessons and essential equipment was analysed to reveal the most affordable hobbies for the new term.

Hiking was top of the list, with no pricey lesson fees and only £2 monthly cost for essential kit.

BMX, judo, and athletics all come in at under £40 for their combined monthly fees.

Surprising additions, such as BMX clubs and triathlons for juniors, can be attributed to their recent success within the global sporting calendar.

Budget sports for kids

Martial Arts

Judo claimed the top spot in search volume rankings, as searches for “judo clubs” in July/August 2021 increased by 441%. In fact, martial arts proved pretty popular overall this summer with searches for “learn taekwondo” up by 161% and “judo for juniors” by 50%.

Athletics

As young girls and boys watched Team GB win their first gold medal for the triathlon mixed relay, searches for “athletics clubs” skyrocketed, earning an average search volume of 10,100. That’s a 370% increase on 2020.

Other related search terms, such as “triathlon for juniors”, “triathlon clubs” and “athletics” also soared – up by 380%, 80% and 35% respectively.

Rugby

Searches for “rugby clubs” soared to 346%, while “learn rugby” searches were up by 67%.

Dance

Dance clubs received a boost this summer with searches up by 210% compared to 2020.

Other sports

Other ball games like handball, softball, netball and basketball also benefitted from the summer of sport, with searches between 2020 and 2021 increasing by at least 120%.

Ice skating, trampolining and gymnastics also gained popularity. “Learn ice skating” and “ice skating lessons” had more than 1,800 searches between them in the summer of 2021 – an increase of around 100% compared to 2020.

Anthony Smith, chief executive at Shoe Zone said: “The past two years have been a huge challenge for everyone, and we, too, have been energised by this summer of sports.

"We are so delighted to see families and kids returning to their favourite sports and being inspired to try new and exciting activities."

Find out more about your kids getting involved in sport in Pembrokeshire, here.