Student-athletes strive to improve their skills and strengths to become the best they can be. A good way of doing this is by playing sports year-round. This ensures that the end of a student’s high school season doesn’t have to be the end of their sport for the year. Many Redwood students play sports outside of school, but not necessarily with their teammates from the high school season. When athletes become friends on club teams, it makes playing against each other something to look forward to. Playing against their close friends who are on other high school teams is a special experience.
Sophomore Siena Ledesma plays on the club lacrosse team Bay Area Elite (BAE), and shares how she connects better with athletes on her club team than her high school team.
“Since I’ve been [on my club team] for a long time and the team’s more consistent, I have closer relationships [with my teammates] than [the teammates] on my high school team,” Ledesma said.
These athletes make tight friendships on their club teams from playing with the same people for years. On the other hand, the athletes on their high school team change every year.
“Since the roster changes each year due to graduating players, team chemistry is always changing. This is a big difference to the pretty solid connections on a club team, especially if traveling is included,” Ledesma said.
Club teams bring together athletes from schools all over Marin to create friendships and learn how to improve their skills. During the high school season when playing a game against a club teammate, athletes often feel excited to see a friend they have bonded with during club season.
“It’s fun to see them, out and about and I only really see my close friends on the team. I see [my teammates] a lot more but since we’re not in the same school, it’s harder to hang out with them.” Ledesma said.
Junior Sierra Balch from San Rafael High School, a teammate of Ledesma, shares how close she has become with her club teammates.
“You’re playing on the field, and you guys just connect so much better and you understand each other and feel comfortable with who you’re playing,” Balch said. “When we go to tournaments [during club sports season] we share hotels, carpool together, fly together, it’s not like that’s your teammates and that’s your sister. [It’s like] that’s your family.”
While sports can be very stressful, seeing club teammates can make an athlete feel accepted and happy in the sports environment. The important difference to note between club sports versus high school sports is the chemistry between athletes and the strings that attach athletes from all over Marin to each other.
