Training at the highest level of any sport costs a lot of money. In some ways hockey is cheaper because there is so much infrastructure in Calgary. I have friends whose daughter swims competitively (she was #2 in Alberta when she was 10-13 years old). It cost them thousands of dollars every year in training costs, coaching, additional pool time, fundraising, etc. My niece, who is 9 years old, is now competitively ski-jumping. The costs right now are manageable, however, within the next 2-3 years they skyrocket.
The point is, for most sports, especially ones that require a lot of infrasture, it's going to cost a lot of money and time if you want to be the best.
I was pretty fortunate in that my boys (twins) generally played at lower levels. For the most part hockey was just fun, and still is. There was never any pressure on them (or me) for extra training, money and stress. Meanwhile, I have friends whose kids are now competing to get into AAA hockey and the politics, costs, stress and time commitment is ridiculous. Especially considering that their chances of playing even one shift in a NHL pre-season game is basically zero and their chances of getting a scholarship to a college or university aren't that much better. I often feel sorry for the thousands of kids who are really good at hockey but just not quite good enough to get a scholarship or play in the NHL.
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