For Eaglecrest students who are involved in sports, their schedule is consistently dominated by practice after practice, game after game. While high school sports and club sports both demand a large amount of time, energy, and effort, the differences between the two can go unnoticed as they are such common activities for EHS students to participate in. Regardless of their popularity, their impact on EHS students is deserving of attention; both high school and club sports require sacrifices from students in order to participate and succeed in the activity. 

In regards to why EHS students choose to take part in club sports, Junior Paige Rauen sees her experiences in club tennis at Parker Racket Club as an opportunity to expose herself to new people and new skill sets. 

“My favorite part of playing club sports was probably that you get to see a whole bunch of new people,” Rauen said. “With club sports, whoever signs up signs up and you get to play with different people. You get to see all the different skill sets.”

Senior Megan Drugan is on the same page as Rauen in terms of valuing the bonds she’s made due to club sports, but Drugan has also seen great benefits that have come out of sticking with club softball, and how it has positively impacted her life outside of high school. 

“I started playing [softball] when I was five, because I played like six sports and that was kind of just the one that I stuck with. I played rec for a year or two maybe and then I realized I wanted to keep going with it,” said Drugan. “The thing about softball is that you could not play high school softball and still get committed. You get committed out of club.”

For Meagan Jimenez, Junior and attacking midfielder for EHS Girls Varsity Soccer, club sports started as a space for her to let out her competitiveness and has turned into an activity where she can build community and prepare for the high school soccer season. 

“I chose to participate in club sports as a younger kid. I loved playing soccer and was very competitive about it so club was a great fit,” Jimenez said. “It’s a great space to make new friends but also dedicate to training hard and getting better at your sport with very positive feedback from both your teammates and coaches. It really sets you up for success especially when getting ready for the high school season.”

When it comes to the high school season that Jimenez prepares for through club, playing with EHS Girls Varsity soccer is another opportunity for Jimenez to grow as a player while facing new competition. 

“My favorite part of high school sports is definitely gaining new competition. Being able to play against other schools and teams really helps you grow as a player as you face new challenges with your team,” said Jimenez.

Senior Adrian Pinedo sees the high school football season as not only an opportunity to grow himself as a player, but as a person as well. 

“My favorite part of playing high school sports is the community, the team. It’s the hard work, discipline, and the character building that goes into it,” Pinedo said. 

Because of how much time Drugan has committed to club softball, she felt like it only made sense for her to play in high school, even though club is where most opportunities open up for softball. 

 “I did high school softball just because I felt like I was supposed to,” Drugan said. “My favorite part is my friends. We don’t play on the same team in clubs so it’s fun to be able to play on the same team with them during high school.”

While Jimenez, Pinedo, Rauen and Drugan all see the positives that can come out of the sacrifices that high school sports require, there are certainly aspects of high school sports that can make it hard to want to play.

“It’s so draining at times. I take a lot of advanced classes so it’s hard having practice every day for three months,” Drugan said. “And you miss a lot of school. I think for Freshmen it’s hard too because they don’t realize how much of a time sacrifice it is.”

For Jimenez, she’s struggled at times with the attitude or negativity that sometimes comes to the surface during the high school season. 

“My least favorite part of playing high school sports can be the attitude or community at times. Being on Varsity since Freshman year I have seen teammates go from 0 to 100 which affects the mood of the whole team in which it was really difficult to be positive and really enjoy the sport,” said Jimenez. “Thankfully that has begun to change as our team continues to change and gain new players every year. But it can also be hard learning to play with different strengths and learning how to play together as a team in just a little time.”

When it comes to club sports, Rauen’s challenges occur when trying to find someone who mirrors her skill level. 

“Sometimes you get paired with people that aren’t necessarily in your skill level. I don’t really know about other sports but when you’re playing with somebody in tennis, it can be a little difficult to play because you’re trying to get a good rally and you can’t get a good rally,” Rauen said. “It can be a little difficult sometimes but it’s not bad.” 

As all of these student athletes have experience at both levels, upon reflection on their time playing, they see some room for improvement in both high school and club sports. 

“We’re adolescent girls. We want a life but we’re also going through a lot, not just physically but like mentally and physically. It’s hard,” Drugan said. “Most athletes I know struggle a lot trying to balance everything. A lot of them have mental health problems. Even my coaches on my [club] team have talked to me about it. They’re like, ‘Do you like playing this much?’. Something I would change is probably limiting the amount. It’s a lot on a teenage person.”

For those looking to decide if they want to play sports in high school or at the club level, many of these student athletes see the biggest difference between the two in terms of structure. 

“In the Fall with club soccer, it’s usually 3 practices a week and multiple games every weekend. The Spring high school season on the other hand includes practice every single day, training during school and when we aren’t practicing it’s because we have a game that day,” said Jimenez. “High school definitely goes a lot faster because before you know it, you’re playing your last game of the season when it feels like you’ve only played a few.”

With all of these factors considered, Pinedo along with Jimenez and Drugan would pick club sports over high school sports, for those looking to play at the most competitive level. 

 “Everyone’s there because they really wanna be there,” Pinedo said. “Usually, their parents aren’t forcing them to go to club sports and things like that, but in high school a lot of the time they are and they’re just not as enthusiastic about it.”   

Rauen has a different viewpoint than the other student athletes, as she views high school tennis as the place to be for those who are more competitive about the sport. 

“If you’re going for more of a competition level, play high school sports. If you’re wanting to get better and practice and just play for fun, play club sports,” said Rauen. “But you can get a mix and it depends on what you want.” 

Obviously, both club and high school sports require a tremendous amount of sacrifices, and there are so many students walking the halls of Eaglecrest that put the work in to be successful in their sport, regardless of what level, on a daily basis. This input from student athletes are great tools for students who are hesitant about joining a sport to consider before making a decision that influences much of what they put their time and energy towards.