Competition in sports at the high school level has become progressively more intense as club sports become more popular in youth athletics. Berkley’s girls’ high school soccer team is a prime example of how club sports change the environment of school sports.
To start, there are students at Berkley High School who are on club teams and are discouraged from playing for the school’s team. Alanna Zorbas, a player on Michigan Hawks ECNL, is a sophomore who is prohibited from playing on the high school team. Zorbas explains, “The club does not allow me to play high school soccer because of the league that we’re in. It is a very high league, and it’s competitive. Coaches don’t want ECNL players playing high school soccer because of the mandatory high skill level required to play on ECNL.”
The limitations that some clubs have for players are extreme and bring the high school team to a disadvantage, as they are not able to coach advanced players who can lead the team to victory. While there are benefits to being on such a competitive and skilled team, it also comes with its downsides, as it prevents any social growth with peers that would have come with high school soccer. Zorbas acknowledges this point when she states, “I have a lot of FOMO (fear of missing out) when all of my friends play high school soccer, and I can’t play with any of my classmates. It makes me upset to think I am missing out on the high school sport experience.” The inability to play high school soccer affects not only the trajectory of the team’s season, but the social lives of the players who are separated from playing on a team with their classmates.
Players who enjoy a sport should have the opportunity to play for their school’s team, regardless of their motive or time availability. Sophomore Sophie Marchena played soccer for Berkley her freshman year without club experience, never wanting the time commitment of year-round soccer. Her perspective showed alternative motives around her goals through the sport, “I think that since so many of the girls in the program play club that makes it a lot more competitive and serious. For me, I’ve played recreational soccer most of my life, but never wanted the time commitment of a club, which makes it harder to play school soccer. I still play recreational soccer just for fun, which I’d say is the opposite of high school soccer, as the goal is more to win in high school.” Marchna’s experience highlights the divide between athletes who mainly play to complete and others who play for enjoyment. Although separate motives, recreational players still bring passion and dedication to these high school teams. Allowing space for both can make school sports more inclusive while still encouraging teamwork.
Club soccer is also not always the focus or widely affordable for some athletes. According to a New York Times article Sept. 25, 2025, a student from Glenbard West High School explained…, “In my experience, I know a lot of other people that don’t do club sports, including myself, because either their parents aren’t willing to pay the amount or can’t afford to. Something as simple as a sport should not be limited to only the upper class.” These prices create limitations for athletes to play club. This connects to all high school sports in the attention coaches provide to club team players is prominent in team selection, leaving unfair advantages to the athletes who are unable to put enough time and money into the sport, as United FC Michigan notes that travel soccer prices can range from 2,000 to 5,000 dollars per child a year.
Marchena also mentions a social struggle being separated from club soccer, “The team was made up of girls from both DCFC and ROFC, and very few not. Since the majority of the team played together through club, they knew each other better than me. It felt harder to fit in because there were previously established groups through club soccer, which I am not a part of.” Feeling left out of your school’s soccer team because of the high participation of club athletes is socially draining and can create divisions in what is supposed to be a united team. High school sports are traditionally supposed to bring classmates together, yet the increasing influence of club soccer can unintentionally create exclusivity within a school environment.
Finally, a student who is on both the high school team and a DCFC travel team, Eliza Rizak has been playing soccer for about eight years. She explains the difference between high school and club soccer, “High school soccer feels more competitive because it’s with people you go to school with, and there’s more tension during tryouts to compete for a spot. For my club, players usually know what team they are going to be on before tryouts.” The aspect of having an idea of where you will be placed is very versatile with different clubs. The topic that travel soccer is less competitive than high school soccer, considering the price levels and commitment of club soccer, is controversial . Soccer clubs are regularly held nearly all year-round, meaning that the practice and game experience of a player in a club is much higher than that of a player who is not involved in consistent practices. Rizak discusses how this experience then affects the high school soccer system. When questioned about the disadvantages of students who do not play club, she responded, “If you haven’t played soccer outside of school, you are probably not going to make varsity or even JV, because you aren’t getting better outside of high school season.” This puts students who play soccer only with the high school team at a clear disadvantage, without the ability to develop their strengths as club players can.
Overall, the rise of club sports has significantly adapted the environment of high school athletics. While club soccer offers advanced training, exposure, and high levels of competition, it also creates social, financial, and developmental divisions among student athletes. High school sports are supposed to bring students together and help them grow. But, as club sports become more popular, they take away the original purpose of school teams. The growing influence of club sports has ultimately reshaped high school soccer, changing not only who makes the team but what the experience of playing for your school truly feels like. As this trend continues, the Berkley community should consider how to balance opportunity with fairness in high school athletics.
