Once in high school, athletes have two options when it comes to sports teams: high school or club. Both choices have their own benefits and downsides. Depending on their values and passions, an athlete will choose to play one or the other. In regards to SCHS, many athletes have differing opinions on which choice is better.
Some choose club over high school sports due to the level of exposure they receive. Sophomore Max Nguyen plays both club and high school soccer and shared that club sports provide more opportunities to be scouted and recruited. He believes high school sports do not focus on these kinds of opportunities.
“Especially playing soccer for Santa Clara, there’s not much of a path to get scouted by professional teams, but in clubs, you go to different showcases and tournaments that give you more opportunities for coaches and scouts to find you,” Nguyen said.
Similar to Nguyen, senior baseball player Ryan Hauck believes club sports gives athletes more freedom and connections to progress toward the career one wants. Through tournaments and traveling, the exposure from club sports supports athletes more than high school sports.
“You have a lot more independence. You can meet a lot more people. You go to a lot more places. You get to see a lot of places you don’t see all the time,” Hauck said. “It’s definitely a better experience too because you’re able to connect to college coaches while it’s a little harder when you’re in high school baseball to talk to college people.”
Many agree, however, that there are downsides to club sports. Nguyen pointed out that performance and skill level still goes into the experience of club sports. The commitment to club sports and how well one plays is vastly greater than in high school sports.
“If there’s one game where you underperform, that means you get replaced,” Nguyen said. “For high school, you can have an off game and it won’t change your coaches perspective of you. In club, the roster is a lot longer, so they have more people to choose from.”
In regards to playing time, physical education teacher and baseball coach Pedro Martinez noted that money also plays a role. In club sports, opportunities are often guaranteed because of payment, while in high school sports, play time is not assured.
“Since you’re paying money to the club, you expect some form of play time. But in high school, there is no guaranteed playing time,” Martinez said. “You can literally play a certain amount of people, and certain people might never get on the field.”
Similarly, basketball player junior Karan Kolappa agreed that a coach’s choices can make or break a player’s motivation. When a coach chooses not to play someone, it can be detrimental on their confidence.
“For an athlete that wants to continue the sport as a career, you kind of question yourself as to why you’re even playing the sport if you’re not even going to be playing,” Kolappa said.
Soccer player junior Lilyanna Chavarria explained that the commitment for club sports can exhaust a player physically and mentally. The pressure it puts on an athlete can be consuming.
“You have practice every single day. You have games. You have to keep up on your school work,” Chavarria said. “It consumes a lot of your time, so you don’t have time for yourself. It takes more of your mental health.”
Freshman Meena Swaminathan played club and high school volleyball and noticed that the two differ when it comes to skill level. For clubs, everyone is at a similar level while high school sports have a wider variety.
“Obviously, there’s a big difference between freshmen, JV, and varsity, but even within – between the best player and the not as good player – there was a big spectrum,” Swaminathan said.
Whether one chooses high school sports or club sports, athletes agree, skills are essential.
“If you’re good – whether you play for your high school team or a club team – you’re going to get found. If you’re that good, it doesn’t matter,” Martinez said.