After graduating and leaving behind their Bruin uniforms, some SCHS alumni continue their sport by joining university club teams. Many have found that their sport’s passion and commitment can continue to thrive in a college club environment.
Class of 2023 graduate Danny Martin is currently a freshman at the University of Arizona and member of the UA club baseball team. After attending his college’s club fair in September, Martin followed up with the process of admission as an athlete, attempting to join a club sport team on campus.
“They (the club board) had us sign a tryout waiver and then they’ll send you an email once you’ve done that on when tryouts are. Tryouts are two weeks and then you go to the field and you do tryouts for two weeks,” Martin said. “They’ll send you an email if you made the team or not, and then if you do if you, you follow up with the practices after that.”
Alongside Martin, class of 2023 alumnus Sebastian McMahon is a freshman at Georgia Institute of Technology and member of the Georgia Tech club baseball team. He was relieved to return to the field and is excited to be playing again.
“I didn’t play over the summer and usually in high school, I did. I’ve had four months off from baseball between the high school season and the start of the club season, and those first few practices, it was a great feeling to be back out there on the field,” McMahon said. “It’s just been about continuing to do something I love.”
For another former Bruin, rather than continuing her high school sport track and field through college, sophomore at University of California, Irvine Kristina Kleveland picked up women’s rugby in her first year of college and is now a member of the team. Kleveland values her connections made from being on the club team.
“I definitely think that I met some of my closest friends joining this team,” Kleveland said. “In college, you go in not really knowing anybody, and in high school I feel like I already knew a lot of people going into it. It wasn’t really like I was essentially looking for friends, but this one, it was more like it just came along with it.”
After getting to know the team members, Martin has found the club environment welcoming.
“We (club team) just mess around, play card games every single weekend. And we actually bond as a team, like friends, like best friends. It’s a lot more team bonding related,” Martin said. “It’s really helped me find new friends and everything. Now, I have new friends, and that actually gives me a home, sort of like a family.”
Excited to be on a team once again, these athletes have adapted to their club’s power dynamic compared to that of a high school team. Martin explained the club president fills the role of a coach as they dictate many of the team’s scheduling and game tactics.
“In college, it’s way different because now the president has control over who plays and everything because he sees everyone in person and how everyone plays,” Martin said.
“He knows where everyone is going to go and everything. The president has the call of who plays and all that.”
Observing both his school’s club and D1 baseball team, Martin has noticed the scheduling differences between both programs and recommends the club route for those looking to pursue other activities on campus.
“It’s (the club team) not mandatory but still fun, but if you actually want to be in the D1 one, it’s like your life,” Martin said. “You have to go to practice everyday. You got to commit to that. You’re committing to baseball because they play year round. You have practice Monday through Friday.”
Along with Martin, Kleveland insists on playing for the club team rather than the standard college team because of the environment.
“It (playing D1) isn’t my main focus,” Kleveland said. “The amount of time commitment it takes wouldn’t be worth playing in my eyes.”
After having joined the club team rather than the D1 team, McMahon expressed the judgment he expected to receive from those around him on campus.
“Coming in, I thought there would be like, ‘Oh, you’re on the club team, not the D1 team? You must not be that good,’ but I think a lot of people understand that division one athletes – especially for sports baseball and football and basketball are the top 1% of athletes in high school – so it’s very difficult to be on a D1 team,” McMahon said.
Many past Bruins are excited for what a future on club teams might hold for them and are excited to play their sport once again.
“I just enjoy playing baseball, and this is an opportunity to do exactly that. So it’s a good way to continue playing the game,” McMahon said.