The school has a large sports department that is growing more and more each year. But that’s not the only sports outlet for some students as a large number of school athletes also play club sports. Although different, both kinds of teams benefit the player.

“We love it when our players play both,” girls soccer coach Courtney Todd said.  “It’s extra practice and additional competition.”

Many students play club sports to gain skill for school team.

“I play to keep up my skills for school and to get better,” sophomore Taylor Carty said.

Unlike school organized sports, in order to be a member of a select team, you have to pay a fee just to try out. Club teams have a high tuition fee that many aspiring athletes cannot pay.

“Some clubs you can get really cheap but some are super expensive,” Carty said.

Club coaches and coaches at school may have different strengths, exposing the athlete to different perspectives.

“You get two different coach’s opinions,” sophomore lacrosse player Kennedy Miller said. “One might not catch, another might and they will help you get better.”

At club sport tournaments college coaches and recruiters are often watching the games.

“In club sports you only practice a couple times a week, and you go to recruiting tournaments and talk to college coaches,” Miller said.

Students who want to play their sport in college participate on club teams to  increase the chances of being noticed by college recruiters.

Many school coaches encourage their athletes to participate in select sports because it gives them extra experience and coaching outside of their own practices.

“I think they learn in both environments when they’re surrounded by different levels of talent,” Todd said. “It always makes you better and basically you can’t be hindered by more practice.”