PREP VOICES : Club Sports Provide Polish, but at What Cost?

Club programs give young athletes opportunities to play such sports as soccer, softball, swimming and volleyball year-round. They help provide the skills and polish necessary to compete at the high school, college and national levels.

Clubs can often provide better facilities, stronger competition, more personal attention and professional expertise in a particular sport.

But at what cost?

Club sports can be a lucrative business. It has been estimated that expenses for club volleyball players can be as much as $2,000 per year, with club softball players and swimmers spending nearly $1,000. And though club coaches say offers of college scholarships are more likely to come to their charges, not even the most prestigious clubs can make any guarantees.

If an athlete wants to specialize in a sport--a conclusion reached on his or her own or by a club coach demanding commitment--what’s the harm?

Many, including high school coaches, believe the harm comes when athletes 13 to 18 years old are skipping softball or track seasons because they are concentrating on club soccer. They feel club sports rob the child of varied experiences that playing multiple sports offers. But make no mistake, high school coaches have something at stake, too--they feel they are being robbed of athletes.

Whose interests are really at stake?

CON: CHARLIE BRANDE, Orange County, Balboa Bay Volleyball Clubs Coach

Specialization Limits One’s Opportunities

Q: Should playing club sports take priority over playing high school sports?

Club sports are a real “Catch 22” situation in that specialization is required for success in high school and college, but specialization and time restraints could restrict athletes from freedom to participate in other activities which help provide a multidimensional education.

We have always felt that successful high school athletic experiences are a major part of a student’s education. There is nothing like “suiting up” to represent your school in a success-oriented program. Our club philosophy is to schedule our practices so that our club athletes can participate in as many school activities as possible. Our feelings are that successful school programs are not measured in victories but in an environment that teaches accountability, commitment and loyalty.

We are obviously proud of our club players’ volleyball achievements in high school, club and college. We are also extremely proud of our athletes like Newport Harbor’s Tina Bowman (basketball and State CIF track) and Melissa Schutz (basketball and CIF swimming), Corona del Mar’s Kristen Campbell (ASB president and homecoming queen) and Kelly Campbell (soccer and State CIF track) and El Toro’s Monika Bickert (a member of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District board of education). We have strongly encouraged these activities and worked to allow them to happen.

Last year, our top 16s team competed in a major tournament without two starters as Tina Bowman and Kelly Campbell competed in the State finals in track.

Most club participants are achievement-oriented. With club emphasis on academics, the players learn the lessons of budgeting time ad organizing responsibilities. Our five committed seniors have selected colleges which will attest to the academic emphasis: Rice, Duke, Princeton, UC Santa Barbara and California.

Due to NCAA practice rule changes as well as the academic and financial additions to attending college, participation in a successful club program becomes more important for those student-athletes who quest for a college education and collegiate athletic successes.

However, many club and high school coaches believe that success in many different sports and activities only serves to breed further success.