A closer look at club sports vs. school sports

 

Hundreds of students at Samo play sports. For some it’s a hobby, and for others it’s a serious career path. Whatever sport a student chooses to play, there are two main options as to where to play: on a club or on a school team. Samo sports have many excellent programs, but there are also dozens of other programs for students who want a different option in Santa Monica. So, what influences a student’s decision to play on a school, club, or both teams?To start, why do students choose to play at school over club?  One big reason is that club sports can be expensive, usually ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on the sport and organization.Audrey Rosenquist (’19) played for Santa Monica Volleyball Club for three years and then decided to quit and play solely for the school team.“Club is really expensive, so I ended up quitting just because it wasn’t really worth it for me in the end,” Rosenquist said.Although school sports have some expenses as well, it does not come close to the cost of club sports. In addition, club can also be time-consuming, since the practices can’t be integrated into a student’s schedule the same way school teams can. For example, students can create their academic schedule around the school team’s schedule. But for club, many students have to miss a couple school days to participate in tournaments. “Club is a huge time commitment, so I didn’t want to have no time for anything else,” Rosenquist said.While club may be more expensive and time consuming, many students prefer the atmosphere created in club and stay. Samo student Liam Sinfield (’17), played for Samo for two and a half years and has been playing for his club team, Santa Monica United Soccer Club, for seven. Through his experiences with the Samo and club team, he prefered the supportive environment that club gave him over Samo, so in his junior year, he left Samo’s team. “I didn’t get along with coach and didn’t agree with the requirements a player needed to meet in order to play in games,” Sinfield said.Sinfield also felt that club was more enjoyable because it was about bettering skills as a team rather than constant competition. “Club is all positivity, and it’s about building a family with your team while improving. High school soccer was a popularity contest and everyone felt entitled,” Sinfield said.   While both sides have very convincing pros and cons, many students enjoy the benefits of both teams and decide to play for both their school and local club teams. Veronica Johnson (’18), who has been playing for the Sunshine Volley Club for seven years, decided to also join Samo in her freshman year. “My favorite thing about club is that I get to play with some of my best friends and also be really competitive,” Johnson said. “[And for] school, it’s a lot of hard work, but also being able to play tough teams and win for Samo. School is different because you see the girls everyday, whereas club you only see them at practice and tournaments.”While the most common factors in deciding whether to play school, club or both are expenses, time commitment and atmosphere, there are many minor ones to consider. Some prefer strong competition, others prefer to focus on building skills and playing with friends and some want an opportunity to do both. The reasons behind playing for Samo or club differ for every student. At the end of the day, each student’s choice comes down to their desires and need: what you like about your sport and how much you enjoy playing it.