Many athletes who play sports at school also play competitively outside of school. Oftentimes, these athletes join club teams where they compete in tournaments across Kansas or even across the country.
Calem Yount is a sophomore at BVN, he plays baseball both with the school and with his club, the Royals Scout Team. Yount talked about why he enjoys playing club sports, one of his main reasons was his teammates.
“I enjoy meeting guys that have the same drive as you. They want to go D1. They want to work their butts off,” Yount said.
Yount also appreciates the fact that his club keeps their overall focus on personal improvement.
“Everything is always about baseball,” Yount said. “Yes it’s fun but it’s mostly focused on trying to get better.”
Jack Rabroker is also a sophomore at North. He plays soccer at school and for his club, Sporting Blue Valley.
“My favorite aspect of club sports is being able to play with my team, practices and games are a lot of fun,” Rabroker said.
Sometimes, it can be more difficult to get to know your teammates on a club team because you don’t know them as well as the people on your school team.
“I think it’s harder to get to know my club teammates because when you join a club, you meet a lot of new people, but when you’re playing with your teammates in high school most of them are already your friends,” Rabroker said.
On the other hand, Yount finds it easier to get along with his club teammates because they they have the same goals and motivations within the sport.
“I think it’s easier to get along with kids from club,” Yount said. “You guys have the same intentions of getting better as a team.”
It’s common for athletes to feel more pressure to perform for their club team than for their school.
“It’s more competitive. And I’m playing D1 so the competition is tougher,” Rabroker said.
One of the downsides of school sports is that teams aren’t always made up of the same age group, unlike clubs, which put players into teams based on age groups.
“Some of the guys are seniors, some are sophomores and some are juniors. It’s all kind of mixed up, and it’s harder to get to know your teammates,” Yount said.
While having a team made up of different age groups can be a challenge, it can also be very beneficial for underclassmen teammates. In fact, this is one of the reasons why Yount enjoys playing baseball for North.
“You get to know guys that are a few years older than you that you looked up to in middle school,” Yount said.
Rabroker also enjoys certain aspects of school sports. He likes that he can be associated with something other than his grades at school.
“I enjoy playing sports for the school because it allows me to not just do academics. I can do fun stuff outside that has to do with high school. It’s also just a lot of fun to play with my friends,” Rabroker said.
