Club sports are teams created for athletes to play a certain sport outside their high school season, either in the offseason or for extra practice during the season. A large number of athletes decide to partake in these club teams, either for a competitive advantage or just to have fun with friends.
Some student athletes here at Woodgrove play club sports to get exposure to colleges around the country. Club teams and travel teams are known to travel across states for tournaments or showcases to help show different people and scouts what they are made of. Addie McCullers, a senior and varsity softball player, commented, “Going to tournaments all over the states gave me a huge advantage, because it maximizes how many coaches I was able to play in front of.” This can give athletes the best chance to be seen and recruited by college coaches. Another reason for athletes to play club sports is to improve at their sport. Cory Morrison, a freshman on the junior varsity baseball team, exclaimed, “I decided to play club baseball, because it’s more time that I am putting in to try and get better at baseball.” Morrison hopes to gain an edge over other players who decided to take some time off during the off-season. These clubs can be very beneficial for student athletes who want to take their skills to the next level, because they gain the opportunity to practice all year to work on their mistakes and become better at their sport. Another advantage to playing a club sport is being able to expand your knowledge of the sport by getting to know other coaches with different styles. By experiencing these different styles, athletes can develop connections with other players and coaches. They can jump levels in skill and knowledge of their sport.
Various athletes say club sports can bring disadvantages to their high school season. In some circumstances, club sports can bring upon a substantial injury that could end up taking time away from their season or even ending it. For other athletes, they can be overworked, which does not give your body enough time to recover to be able to play in the high school season. Another disadvantage club sports can bring is taking up a lot of time and effort. Morrison said, “You don’t get to hang out with your friends outside of baseball that much during the off season.” Sometimes traveling all summer to go from tournament to tournament can be draining for an athlete, but most athletes believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. McCullers proclaimed, “For me, I wouldn’t call being gone all summer a disadvantage because of the fact that softball is where I want to be.”
Club sports are a very valuable aspect in many athletes’ lives. Despite the disadvantages, for most athletes, the pros outweigh the cons, because, ultimately, the purpose of these clubs is to improve mentally and physically.