Choosing a Sport for Your Child: Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Swimming or Badminton?

There's no single "best" sport for kids, only the one that fits your child and your family right now. This guide compares five sports that are easy to find in Greater Vancouver, using the same criteria for each, and ends with a few questions to help you decide.

What national data says about youth sport costs

Canadian Tire Jumpstart's State of Youth Sport in Canada 2025 report, which combines national surveys of parents and youth, found that the organized sports with the highest participation are soccer (39%), basketball (31%) and swimming (21%). It reported these annual costs for each sport:

These are national figures, not Greater Vancouver prices. The average is well above the median, which means some families (for example, those on competitive or travel teams) spend far more. Volleyball and badminton weren't in that table, so they're compared in general terms below.

Youth sports compared at a glance

The time and cost levels in this table are our editorial estimates based on how programs are usually structured, not survey data. Beginner programs usually meet once a week. Competitive teams often practise several times a week plus weekend games or tournaments. Club volleyball runs only from January to May, but it's busy, with many weekend tournaments and some travel. Check each program's schedule.

Equipment

• Basketball: court shoes and a ball. Easy to start.
• Soccer: cleats and shin guards are usually required; jerseys often come from the club.
• Volleyball: indoor court shoes and knee pads.
• Swimming: swimsuit, goggles, cap; clubs may require specific gear.
• Badminton: racquet, shuttles and indoor shoes. Shuttles wear out quickly, so they're an ongoing cost.

Injury considerations (general)

Every sport carries some risk. In broad terms:

• basketball and volleyball involve a lot of jumping and landing, which loads the ankles and knees;
• soccer adds contact and sudden stops and turns;
• badminton involves fast changes of direction;
• swimming is low-impact, but high training volume can strain the shoulders.

Warm-ups, proper equipment and building training load gradually matter more than the choice of sport. Concussion awareness is taken seriously too: BC School Sports requires coaches and managers of school teams such as volleyball and soccer to complete concussion awareness training every two years. If your child has a health condition, check with your family doctor first.

Where to find each sport in Greater Vancouver

• Soccer: nearly every city has a community club, so it's the easiest to join close to home.
• Basketball: many community centre programs, academies and clubs.
• Volleyball: Volleyball BC lists about 100 clubs across eight zones of the province.
• Swimming: city pools offer lessons, and Swim BC has a directory and map of competitive clubs by region.
• Badminton: Badminton BC has a "where to play" map, and junior events use U13, U15, U17 and U19 categories.

All five are also BC School Sports high school sports, so kids can try out for school teams later.

Questions to help you choose

1. What does your child enjoy? A trial class or watching a live game tells you more than any comparison.
2. How much driving can your family manage each week? Competitive schedules and venues change often.
3. What's your budget ceiling? Include tryouts, uniforms, tournaments and travel.
4. Does your child prefer team or individual sports?
5. How will it fit with schoolwork? Do practices ease up around exams?

Many families let kids sample several sports in the elementary years. Basketball BC's long-term athlete development model also treats the younger ages as foundation-building stages.

Next steps

• Browse programs and trial classes on our site by sport and city.
• Check real fee reports from other parents to estimate a full year's cost.
• Subscribe to registration and tryout reminders in our calendar.