I can speak of first hand experience about the cost of youth wrestling. I have an 8 year old who I try to take to a tournament every weekend. I estimate it costs me $40 to $50 per tournament. Entry fee is $15 give or take a few bucks.
Gate fee for family $5. Food at concession stand $15 bucks. Fuel for getting their $10. I think I'm up to 14 tournaments.
So thats at least $600 bucks. Traveled to one National tournament so add in a couple plane tickets, hotel and national tournament fee another $600 bucks. Add in Singlet, head gear, shoes, wrestling card, club fee and I'm up to $1500 this year. Its crazy, but I guess I'm one of those crazy parents that pays the fee to get my kid ahead.

My son has a friend who goes to practice, but parents won't pay the money for tournaments. So he loses out. A lot of kids get eliminated this way. Maybe they catch up in middle school. It is a money game, but what do you do?

I agree with the comment, a lot of other sports are just as money intensive and many are worse. I'm getting my daughter into tennis, and tennis is a wonderful sport. I personally play twice a week. But you nailed it when you talk about tennis as sport where only the priveledged excel. I teach my daughter tennis and get her to some group lessons. I can't afford to get her private lessons. You're talking $60 an hour. Wrestling is not so bad and who can afford that. The tennis crowd is totally different from the wrestling crowd and I've been around both. You see big pickup trucks at the wrestling tournament and the tennis tourney, its mercedes and volvos.