photo credit: Abby Kulian
At some point in life, most students have all most likely been in a club sport. Whether it was against one’s will when you were a kid, like when I was forced to play tennis in the third grade or you’re a student athlete who plays their sport during the school season and plays club the rest of the year, club teams are commonplace in today’s youth sports landscape.
Club sports are great, amazing even. I’m part of a club swim team, and I participate with it every season except the winter. I’ve met some of my best friends from that team, and club sports are an experience everyone should be able to have.
However, nowadays it feels like being a part of a club sports team costs an arm and leg. Especially in sports like swimming, athletes need to have multiple pairs of goggles, caps and swimsuits. Then, every athlete must have their club-specific bag, and then finally athletes have to pay the participation fees that cover other operating factors like pool time, officials, meet fees and coaches.
Whenever I think of club sports, teamwork comes to mind, and everyone is involved. Unfortunately, some people may not be able to participate or do club sports because of the high fees involved. Club sports help generate competitiveness, determination and hard work in people, especially when it comes to young kids. And it absolutely sucks that some kids may not have that opportunity.
Club sports, depending on the sport or team, can have multiple seasons in one year or just one singular season throughout the year. At the club team I’m a part of, they have multiple seasons in one year, so a new season in the summer and a new season in the winter.
When the school year begins, student athletes have to find a balance between their after-school practices and their academics, which can be challenging. There’s also the factor of when high school sports season starts. Some student athletes take a break from their club sports and only participate in the school team, which is what I’ve been doing for the last two years during the winter season so it’s easier to focus on my classes.
However, I’m pretty sure a majority of club athletes still practice even during the school season because they usually prioritize their club over school practices. There are some kids who may not even make the team, like the boys soccer team for example, and the students who try out just continue playing with their club.
Some club students may not even try to join their school sports at all for various reasons. Maybe they wanted to prioritize their club over the school, or they didn’t have enough time in their schedule. Some seniors or juniors that have already committed to a college may not want to play during the high school season either, in case they injure themselves.
Most teams at the school mandate that club athletes have to come once a week on a specific day. When doing club and the school team, a student athlete will have two different sets of coaches. This can be helpful in pinpointing minor mistakes and small issues, but it’s difficult to adjust when they have two coaches instructing using different methods.
However, It’s still really important for club athletes to participate and join school sports because it can be such a fun environment. And there’s also the fact that if an athlete is more serious and they excel in their sport, it’s much easier to commit to a college if they’re in a school sport.
Like anything, there are some obvious downsides to club sports, but overall there are more benefits than cons to joining one.
Be the first to comment