>>>No question that economics plays a role. Poking around to answer Bill's post, I saw something about gymnastics becoming more expensive after Mary Lou Retton made it more popular.
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>Tried to reply, somehow lost it. Gist was that a gym with which I am familiar, recently installed a new "floor" which is an elaborate sprung padded piece of equipment. Cost? Around $40K all up. Suffice to say that few poor communities have facilities with resources or even space to put such equipment. Only the most dedicated will be prepared to cross town and forge respect amongst rich princesses.
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>FWIW, I thought gymnastics was expensive until a colleague described the cost of equestrian sports in the US. From memory they're paying $20K per annum for the leased horse plus around ?$2K per month to stable it, plus the cost of transport to Kentucky or wherever for the meets, vet bills, lessons, etc. Plus somebody has to get her to te stable every day. At least $50K or $60K per annum for a daughter to ride a jumper. That's a minimum I think... one of the families decided to purchase rather than leasing a third horse for their princess at a cost of over $100K if I recall correctly. Sorry for those who don't like hearing this stuff- but those sorts of costs represent a glass ceiling above which only the 1% and upper middle class can sensibly rise. The horse set can preach inclusion and "open to all" when in fact they have the biggest class barrier of any sport I can think of. Bill mentioned golf: yep, in the mid west I was invited to join a fancy golf/country club for only $20K or $25K per annum, apparently because foreign MDs don't have to be assigned a rung on the class ladder. But horsies leaves that in the dust IMHO.

Try playing polo!
Getting into big-time tennis competition can also be pricey.

You haven't mentioned the cost of coaches, personal trainers, yoga guru's, sports MD's, sports psychologists, PR people, business managers, ad nauseum.
That's why I didn't watch any of the olympics and don't watch most college sports.
When coaches of "amateur" athletes are earning millions, I tune out.
There are still some big-time sports that allow a gifted individual to shine solely on talent and hard work.
Track is probably the best example.
Baseball is certainly another and basketball another.
It's becoming increasingly difficult in golf, but it's possible.