Thought Leadership v7
The hidden costs of going pro.
đź—“ Thursday July 31st, 2025
Many aspiring professional track and field athletes fail to consider just how much “going pro” can cost. After leaving college, most things that were guaranteed with collegiate athletics, like coaching, athletic trainers, and facilities, all turn into expenses. In today’s article, we’re diving into some of the “hidden” costs that athletes may forget or not consider when transitioning to the pro circuit.
Coaching Fees: Going pro means taking on a whole new level of training. Some athletes can get by with doing what they learned in college, but most need a coach for guidance, structure, and feedback. The problem is, most college coaches don’t get paid enough to begin with, so adding pro athletes to their plate without pay is not sustainable. Pros need to consider coaching fees as a large part of their expenses because it’s such an important part of taking their talents to the next level.
Meet Fees: If an athlete has never competed outside of their club or college team, they might not know that there are costs associated with entering into a competition. Athletes typically pay a small “entry fee” to get into a meet, and sometimes you have to pay to enter multiple events. If an athlete is sponsored or part of a professional club, oftentimes these are covered by the sponsor or club. If the athlete is training as an individual, however, this is an expense that must be covered by themself. It’s important to consider these fees when planning out a meet schedule and deciding which races to do at each of those meets.
Nutrition/Supplementation: So many athletes have access to high-quality dining and nutritional services during college. When turning pro, all of that goes away and needs to be maintained to maintain or improve performance. This is a cost that often is larger than athletes expect, given the cost of high-quality, clean foods and supplements that will support their training and performance goals.
There are so many other fees that are more likely to be accounted for, like physical therapy, travel and lodging fees, apparel and footwear, etc. It is important for athletes to take into account the total expenses before going into a pro season, and to make sure that it’s an amount that’s feasible based on their budget.
Here at ProTrackletes, we’re working on building resources (like seasonal budgets and expense tracking sheets) for professional track athletes. Subscribe to our email list if you’re interested in receiving updates when these resources are available!
