Many growing athletes are dependent upon their high school season for improvement in their sport; however, that isn’t the only way to succeed with your athletic career. Club sports have given students the opportunity to join a team and connect with new coaches, gain new skills, college recruitment and teammates.
During the typical season for high school sports, there is usually a designated season for each activity, such as soccer in the fall, basketball in winter and lacrosse in the spring. Though these teams have immense dedication to improving their skills, it is only a brief period of time for athletes to get better with their abilities. With multiple club sports offered in different areas, varying coaches and finding a balance for commitment, there are so many opportunities for young high school athletes to participate year round in their favorite sport.
Not only does it give the athlete themselves an opportunity to grow, it allows college scouts more time to evaluate excelling players. Since varsity sports align almost directly with the seasons of higher level sports in colleges, it gives coaches very little time to come and watch the most outstanding students on teams . However, after the period for playing with your classmates is over, club sports allow for a year-long time period for recruitment.
When playing for your high school team, you are often restricted to opponents in surrounding towns, versus club sports when you can compete against new players in different states, regions or sometimes even nations. It’s not uncommon for athletes who participate in club sports to be away at tournaments, allowing for students to gain more experience in their athletics by traveling all the time.
When playing against people that you otherwise wouldn’t meet if it wasn’t for your club opportunities, it is almost a given that you’ll make friends who share common interests or hobbies, in this case a sport. When engaging yourself in athletics of any kind, you will meet people to talk about the interests you share, partner with during practice and so on. Participating in a sport can often lead to experiences you more than likely won’t forget, and form friendships that will once again last a lifetime.
When trying out to be on a club team there also comes a lesson of gaining life long teamwork skills. Contributing to an environment when you’re constantly bringing out your critical thinking and problem solving skills allows one to grow and thrive. Along with that, when on a club team you’re continually pushing your individual abilities to the best they can be, while simultaneously making many efforts to improve your skills on the field, rink or court. Between supporting yourself or others, committing to practice and games or even thinking beyond what is asked of you to improve, teamwork will be a trait you’ll often carry with you for life.
