Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Lacrosse, and many other athletic events have distinct differences between High School and Club seasons. For many high school athletes, each season comes with its individual timeline. Typically, the high school soccer season spans from August to October while club soccer operates on a year round basis, offering athletes the opportunity for continuous competition beyond the confines of an academic schedule.
Despite the difference in routine, Sophomore Liana Beading enjoys her high school team over her club team.
“I prefer high school soccer over club soccer because it is a more positive and fun environment and the team is so fun to be around and practice and play with,” Beadling said.
Club sports require a much longer time commitment than high school sports. For instance, sometimes club sports require athletes to travel for showcases or tournaments with some being out of state. When it comes to recruiting most colleges and universities attend club events because it gives them the chance to see multiple athletes in one day. Also, the talent level is generally higher than what one would see in a highschool game.
Molly Rutherford ‘25 prefers her high school soccer team because the competition is stronger, but club soccer often gains the attention of college scouts.
“High school soccer can be more competitive because you’re trying to advance to the playoffs, but club soccer gives you the opportunity to strengthen skills outside of the regular season and travel to play different teams than you might face in the regular season,” Rutherford said.
Additionally, playing high school sports can give more learning experience for student athletes, especially those who are looking to play at the collegegiate level. It can teach athletes valuable leadership skills they can utilize in the future. A benefit to playing high school sports is the cost to participate is significantly less than club sports. While there may be some costs in highschool sports, club sports require fees, expenses for traveling and meals. Another benefit of high school sports is it encourages student athletes to keep their grades up because you are not allowed to play high school sports if your GPA isn’t high enough. A high school team is more like a family than a club team because players are with each other almost every day from preseason to the last game.
Junior Anuj Rao favors high school soccer teams to club organizations due to the overwhelming sense of community and friendship.
“High school soccer is more fun because you get to play with your friends that you grew up with,” Rao said. “The games in high school soccer are more meaningful than club soccer because there are more emotions connected to it; We only get four years of high school.”
Club sports offer athletes experiences they cannot get in high school, from high competition every weekend and traveling for events. There are many benefits associated with club sports which further an athletes’ athletic career. For example, it increases athletes’ exposure to the world of their sport outside of the bubble of their high school teams.
Sydney Shocklee ‘25 like many aspects of her Club Basketball team.
“The best part of AAU basketball is how fast pace the game is and the level of competition. Also, who wouldn’t want to travel every weekend with your best friends?”
Although there are both benefits and drawbacks to club sports and high school, the real preference comes from a player’s experience in either setting.
