We spent a fair amount on an EC for one of my kids–not because she’d be a recruited athlete but because she truly loved what she was doing. Her sport was a club sport, which wasn’t offered at any college. She did really well and was on a national team for several years. Unlike many of the kids on the national team, she was one of the few who was not homeschooled. H and I felt that school was more important than the sport. D retired from the sport when she went to college; eventually she took judge’s training courses and became a judge (which she still does in her spare time). Being on the national team probably helped her get into a selective university (Tufts), but it wasn’t a slam dunk–others equally as selective rejected her. I wouldn’t put money into an EC unless my kids really enjoyed it and wanted to participate.