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Copyright Stillwater Area High School MMX
May 18, 2012
When in season, athletes dedicate themselves to their sports. They give everything they have to make themselves the best athletes possible. However, the difference is made during the off season. Some athletes choose to just train on their own, which can sometimes be difficult. Others though, join a club team for their sport.
Club teams are team that are not involved with the school and play in the off season. Being on one of these teams often requires trying out for the team, and the athletes draw from a larger radius. The popular club sports are usually soccer, volleyball and baseball. Being on these club teams offer a new and interesting perspective.
"I like that there are kids from all over on the team. We have kids from River Falls all the way to Hastings," said junior Kevin Meads.
Not only do the teams have more athletes, they have more variation in the skill levels and more teams in general than the school teams. Also, they often start younger than the school sports, which offers a early education into the sport allowing athletes to be much better when they are older.
"I have been in traveling soccer since fourth grade. On my team, since it's C2, it's pretty laid back. But we have made it to the state tournament three straight years, so it's pretty competitive too," said junior Ben Keran.
The different kind of play is an attractive part of playing on a club team for lots of athletes.
"When I play on the school [soccer] team, it's pretty much kick the ball down and your forwards shoot it. In club though, there is a lot more skills being used. We pass the play fifteen, maybe even twenty times before we shoot it. It's more strategy," said Meads.
Soccer is not the only sport with club teams; baseball has summer leagues too, which almost the entire school team does.
"Playing on the VFW team was such a great experience for me and all of the other guys. It was a relaxed environment, so it didn't stress you out at all, and you just got to play some good old baseball. You could even get a nice tan on if you happened to whip off the shirt during batting practice! The competition allowed you to always be getting better even in the lax attitude of summer ball," said junior Chris Johnson.
Although club sports are fun, players sometimes are looking for more when they play.
"The main reason I play club soccer is to keep my foot strong and keep my soccer senses razor sharp for the school season, after all, winning is what really matters," said junior Will Rehnberg.
For fun or for practice, club sports offer a unique and different approach that the school sports simply cannot offer.