Registration Pricing Strategy

You're setting prices for next season's registration. Do you charge $250? $350? $400? You look at what you charged last year, add a bit for inflation, and hope for the best.

Meanwhile, you have no idea what the soccer club across town charges. Or the basketball league in the next district. Or whether families in your area can even afford what you're asking.

You're pricing blind. And it shows in your registration numbers.

We charged $275 for three years because that's what we'd always charged. Turns out every competitor was at $320+. We left tens of thousands on the table.

— Club director, Ohio

The opposite problem is just as common. Organizations overprice because they assume "premium" means higher fees — then wonder why registration is down 30% while the "budget" league down the street is at capacity.

The stakes are real. The average U.S. family spent $1,016 annually on a child's primary sport in 2024 — a 46% increase from 2019. Registration fees average $168 per sport, but that's just one piece. When you add travel ($260), equipment ($154), and camps ($111), costs add up fast. 59% of families report financial strain from youth sports, with 11% taking on debt.

AI Market Intelligence: Know Your Market

According to NRPA's 2025 report, organizations typically set fees based on: expenditures (57%), cost recovery studies (48%), and competitor benchmarks (41%). That last one is the problem — most admins "benchmark" by asking a friend what they charge or Googling for 10 minutes.

What if you could see exactly what every competitor in your area charges? Not guesses — actual prices scraped from their websites, analyzed by AI, and presented in a dashboard that updates automatically.

That's what modern tools like Hurdle provide. When you create a program, AI scans your local market and gives you:

• Competitor pricing: Real prices from organizations in your area, broken down by recreational vs. competitive programs
• Market averages: What the "going rate" is for your sport in your city
• AI-suggested price: A specific recommendation based on your positioning (budget, mid-market, or premium)
• Market size: Estimated youth population and participation rates in your area

The AI doesn't just give you a number — it explains the reasoning. "Price at $289 to be 8% below market average, capturing price-sensitive families while still covering costs." Now you can justify your pricing to anyone who asks.

I used to spend hours Googling competitor websites. Now I just look at the dashboard. It found 14 organizations I didn't even know existed.

— League administrator, California

Pricing Psychology That Works

Your price isn't just a number — it's a signal. Here's what decades of research tell us about how families perceive pricing:

1. Anchor High, Discount Down

A $350 registration that's "on sale" for $299 feels like a better deal than a $299 registration at full price — even though you pay the same amount. This is why early bird pricing works so well.

2. The Power of 9

$299 genuinely feels cheaper than $300. This isn't a myth — studies consistently show prices ending in 9 convert better. Use $249, $299, $349 instead of round numbers.

3. Break It Down

"$299 for the season" sounds expensive. "$25/week for 12 weeks of soccer" sounds reasonable. Always show the per-week or per-session breakdown alongside the total.

4. Show What's Included

Don't just list a price. List what families get: 12 weeks of practice, 8 games, jersey, shorts, socks, end-of-season trophy, team photo. The more items, the more valuable it feels.

Early Bird Strategy: Create Urgency

Early bird pricing isn't just a discount — it's a psychological tool that drives action. Without a deadline, families procrastinate. With one, they register.

The most effective approach: tiered early bird pricing. Multiple deadlines create multiple waves of urgency.

Recommended Tier Structure

The key insight: 40% of registrations happen in the first tier when discounts are highest. That's cash in the bank months before the season, giving you time to plan.

Payment Plans: Remove the Barrier

Here's a stark reality: only 30% of children from families earning under $25,000 play organized sports, compared to 70% from households earning $100,000+. Sports costs can consume up to 10.5% of a family's gross income. For many families, $350 upfront is impossible — even if they could manage $117/month for three months.

The result? 33% of low-income kids are physically inactive due to cost barriers alone.

Payment plans change the equation. According to TeamSnap research, flexible strategies like payment plans and discounts can increase registrations by 20-30% by addressing cost barriers and improving retention. People who would have said "we can't afford it" now say "we can make that work."

Best Practices for Payment Plans

• Make it visible: Show "or $99/month for 3 months" right next to the full price
• Don't charge extra: Same total price, just spread out — no interest or fees
• Automate collection: Use a tool that handles reminders and tracking (you don't want to chase monthly payments)
• Complete before season ends: All payments should be collected by mid-season

Smart Discounts That Don't Kill Margins

Discounts are powerful — but the wrong discounts can crater your revenue. Here's what works:

Discounts That Work

• Sibling discounts (10-15%): Families with multiple kids are your best customers. Reward them.
• Multi-sport discounts (10%): Encourage families to sign up for fall AND spring
• Referral credits ($25-50): Existing families bring in new families — win-win
• Coach/volunteer discounts (25-50%): Recognize the people who make your program possible

Discounts to Avoid

• Blanket percentage discounts: "20% off for everyone" just trains people to wait for sales
• Negotiated individual discounts: "They asked, so I gave them 15% off" creates resentment when others find out
• Last-minute panic discounts: Signals desperation and devalues your program

Promo Codes: Targeted Discounts That Track

The best way to offer discounts without blanket price cuts? Promo codes. They let you:

• Target specific groups: Create codes for returning families, coach referrals, or sponsor partnerships
• Set limits: Cap usage at 50 redemptions or expire after a deadline
• Track effectiveness: See exactly how many people used "SPRING25" vs "COACHREF"
• Run campaigns: Partner with local businesses — "Show your receipt from Joe's Pizza for $20 off"

In Hurdle, you can create unlimited promo codes with percentage or fixed-amount discounts, usage limits, and expiration dates. Parents enter the code at checkout and the discount applies automatically — no manual adjustments needed.

Common Pricing Mistakes

1. Pricing Based on Costs Alone

"It costs us $200 per kid, so we charge $250." This ignores what the market will bear. You might be leaving $100 on the table — or pricing out families who'd pay $220.

2. Never Raising Prices

"We've charged $250 for five years." Meanwhile, your costs have risen 15%, your competitors charge $320, and you're operating at a deficit. Small annual increases (3-5%) are expected and accepted.

3. Copying Competitors Exactly

Competitor pricing is a data point, not a strategy. Maybe they're losing money. Maybe they have different costs. Use market data to inform your price, not dictate it.

4. Ignoring Perceived Value

Two identical programs — one charges $299 and has a basic website, the other charges $349 and has professional photos, clear communication, and a modern registration experience. The second one fills faster. Presentation matters.

5. Hidden Fees

SportsEngine's research warns against downgrades, annual charges, minimums, reporting fees, and termination penalties — they inflate costs and deter families. Be transparent: show the all-in price upfront. If there are additional costs (tournament fees, travel), communicate them clearly before registration, not after.

Your Pricing Framework

Here's a step-by-step process to set your registration price:

1. 1.Calculate your costs: Fields, equipment, uniforms, insurance, admin time. Know your break-even point.
2. 2.Research the market: Use AI tools or manual research to find competitor pricing. Identify the low, mid, and high points.
3. 3.Choose your position: Are you the budget option, the premium experience, or somewhere in between? This should align with your program quality.
4. 4.Set your anchor: This is your "regular" price. It should be above your costs and aligned with your market position.
5. 5. Build in early bird tiers: Your anchor minus $30-50 for early bird, minus $50-75 for super early bird.
6. 6.Add payment plans: Same total price, split into 2-4 monthly payments.
7. 7.Review annually: Compare registration numbers to projections. Adjust for next season.

These numbers come from NRPA, TeamSnap, and Aspen Institute research on youth sports economics. The message is clear: thoughtful pricing strategy isn't just about your bottom line — it's about making sports accessible while keeping your organization sustainable.