Senior soccer player Gavin O’Brien rushes from his school soccer practice to his next club practice, wondering how he’ll also manage to finish his schoolwork that night. Choosing between club soccer and school soccer is a tough decision that many students have to make. Some leagues in club soccer, one being MLS Next, legally do not allow their players to play school soccer, forcing players to choose where to continue their athletic journeys.
An exception to this is the soccer league ECNL-R . ECNL-R is a club league throughout the US that encourages players to play for their high school teams, purposely arranging most of their season around the school season. Because O’Brien’s league is an exception to this rule, he has the choice to play and experience both.
“Club (soccer) is a lot higher (of a) level, but high school is more just for fun and you get to play against your club teammates which creates a fun competition,” O’Brien said.
However, for those who have to choose, the decision is dependent on the goals of the athletes.
“I think clubs are really focused on, … results, tournament wins, … or athletes committing to various colleges,” varsity girls soccer coach Sebastiaan Blickman said. “(In comparison),schools are like, ‘I’m not recruiting kids, I’m taking what I’m given and trying to make a really nice group and nice experience out of it.’”
Junior Eren Agsak chooses to play for a club league which legally forbids him to participate in school sports. This league is called MLS next, their rule is stated in the hand book. “Primary players must agree to forgo participating simultaneously in both (1) MLS NEXT and (2) high school or middle school soccer,” (MLS Next Official Website). This restriction is due to the concern of commitment, injury and level of play. MLS-Next can cause resistance for players, but Agsak believes that his club is best for him.
“I have trust because I’m confident in my club as well, if I didn’t get as many minutes, I’d probably, you know, play somewhere else to get more minutes.” Agsak said.
While commitment of club sports is important to each individual, playing in school sports have their benefits, one of which is increased team chemistry from bonding in school.
“The relationships that they’re building with one another at the lunch table or, you know, in the library or they’re working on homework or when they’re in class together, that’s going to pay dividends on the field somehow,” Blickman said.
Although other athletes enjoy the fact that their sport acts as a nice break from their education and school life, the type of friendships that are formed are based on a different foundation, so relationships vary.
“(at) Trinity, everyone focuses on academics a lot more than sports,” Agsak said. “So it’s very different. … like my teammates (friendships) are more based on soccer.”
Club teams may have better competition and overall can assist in the development of athletes, but highschool soccer teams promote friendships connects on different levels, through sport and education.
“It’s a different type of bond with those (school) teammates and it’s a whole different like dynamic where it’s in club, you might not be as close with them, but they’re still good players to learn to play with them.”O’brien said.
The decision relies on your goals and how far you want to go with your own soccer career. Depending on your personal values, factoring friendship, personal life and over all development, either can be a great decision.
“It depends on what your goal is, if your goal is to get recruited and to play at the highest level … club is the better option,” Blickman said. “ … but it’s your goal, … I believe that being part of the Trinity Prep team, … I don’t think there’s anything better than getting to laugh with your friends, joke with your friends, get better with your friends, suffer with your friends and then find success with your friends.”
