HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER VS. CLUB SOCCER 

In the United States, one could participate soccer activities in multiple different programs. Some people enroll in a club soccer team, high school soccer team, recreational soccer team, and organizations such as, AYSO, YMCA, etc. Some people enroll in more than one soccer program like for example; I am doing club soccer which is active from fall to winter and then summer, and I also participate in our high school soccer team which is in season during the spring. It is great that the different programs are scheduled in a way that no two programs will be in conflict especially with time and commitment. Most successful soccer players play soccer year round and those are the people who dream of making in it into a division one college, get recruited by a professional team, and represent his or her country in the world cup and international related tournaments. 

The purpose of this piece is to address the similarities and differences between club soccer and high school soccer, and as to what extent it affects a player. I would like to advice that these notes are strictly from my own point on view and traits that I have observed from both high school and or club soccer players. First off, both programs are very good at least here in Iowa, and it keeps one busy all the time. The high school season officially starts around March 17th or so, and then goes around to about June 6th. The high school season's commitment on a varsity team level is a little high but not as high as that of club. Remember these points I am about to make are strictly from my own personal experience. For my high school team, we practice six times a week about two to three hours per day which adds up to an average of 12 to 15 hours a week. Our games are usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and every Wednesday after practice, we have team dinners. During our team dinners, we have a nice healthy meal, and then watch our previous games and see what good we have done and what places we need to improve on based on performance. We are also mandated to keep our grades up in order to participate in the program while still committing to the hard work everyday before and or after school. When the high school soccer season rolls around, I rarely get 7 hours of sleep because practice usually ends at 8 in the evening, and before I get home, freshen up, and eat, its about 8;30pm and I still need to catch up with my assignments, so on average I usually get to bed at 1 in the morning and then wake up at 6. The nice thing about high school soccer is that some teachers give you extensions on homework and projects based on your commitment to the class and the sport. 

The club soccer program is a little different compared to the high school program. The commitment level in both cases is about the same because in my club team, we usually practice about 2 to 3 times a week. I bet some of you are saying that the high school program requires more commitment because we have to practice 6 times a week but hold on. In the club soccer program, committed individuals which is usually about 98% of team do some extra work outside of practice. My buddies and I usually go out to the trail or the field and do some technical work and put in some good deal of conditioning. Remember, the club program is filled with players who are committed to playing in college and hopefully higher so every competitor has to put in that extra work in order to meet the level of play in this program. Club soccer teams travel all around the state and outside the state too. The tournaments are usually during the weekends. The tournaments been during the weekend limits your leisure time with friends because you need to catch with homework and possibly study for upcoming tests and quizzes. In the high school soccer program, no payment is required but in the club program, one has to pay thousands of dollars in order to play. When it comes to getting extensions from teachers, it is likely that one will get none because it is an outside of school program. In addition to all these time consuming commitments, the club program also requires a great deal of commitment from parents who spend thousand of dollars on this program travelling in and out of state for tournaments and games. 

It is crystal clear that both programs require a lot commitment but the club program requires a little bit more commitment. Both programs are fantastic and offer a lot of exposure to college coaches. In conclusion, players engaged in the club soccer program and high school program are the most committed to furthering their skills and getting more exposed to coaches who will hopefully recruit them. Soccer takes up a lot of your time but every time and money consumed is 100% worth it. I would advice that if you are financially able to, enroll in both programs in other to learn more about the beautiful game and exploit your skills to college soccer scouts. 

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