As high school sports become increasingly competitive, with 34 percent of students participating, the number of young athletes playing at elite levels has risen dramatically. This has created a cutthroat athletic environment where athletes have to dedicate extensive time, money and effort to perform at the level of their peers.
Bailey Foster, a senior at Redwood, experienced this phenomenon when he moved up to the varsity team at the Marin Rowing Association in just his second year playing the sport. He’s noticed an immense amount of pressure while competing at such a high level but enjoys it.
“I would say there’s a lot of pressure, but that’s what makes it fun,” Foster said. “It’s addicting.”
Junior Stella Belloumini, a softball commit for the University of Houston, plays varsity softball for Redwood and a nationally-ranked team called The Firecrackers. Not only does Belloumini enjoy playing softball for the feeling of success and accomplishment, but she also enjoys the sport because of the community it creates and the friends she has made throughout her career.
“The feeling of succession and knowing that you achieved something makes softball so fun,” Belloumini said.
While only 2 percent of high school athletes commit to colleges for sports, many still dream of being part of that group. With so many athletes competing for a limited number of spots, the rigor of high school sports has skyrocketed.
“I think the whole college process is getting more competitive, so it’s making the athletic scene more competitive,” Foster said.
Senior Beckett Shewey, a volleyball player on the U20 USA national team development program, Bay 2 Bay club team and Redwood varsity volleyball, is in the process of getting recruited to play in college. He’s noticed the stress and competitiveness of youth sports, specifically around recruiting.
“In serious games, it makes everything much more stressful, especially when scouts are looking at you,” Shewey said.
Although there are many positive aspects to playing a high school sport, it does come with the difficult task of juggling sports and academics. Many students playing high school sports get pulled out of school early for practices and tournaments, which can cause them to miss valuable class time and tests.
“I end up skipping a lot of school and making up a lot of tests,” said Foster.
Belloumini struggles in the same way Foster does. Due to being on a competitive club softball team, she has had to miss numerous classes for tournaments across the country, including finals week.
“It affects school because you miss multiple days for high-level tournaments, so I have to be on top of my work and make sure that I don’t fall behind,” Belloumini said.
Not only does being a high-level athlete take up school hours, but it also makes it harder to have free time on weekends. Due to rigorous practice hours and travel schedules, most of their time is spent with teammates.
“It takes away from your social life because you have to put so much more time and effort into the sport,” Shewey said.
As high school sports become more popular and more athletes attempt to play in college, the level of play and competition has skyrocketed. Athletes have to balance school, social life, practice and recruitment, which can be a stressful task. As they strive to excel and be the best players in the league, securing college recruitment opportunities can be overwhelming for young athletes, and it is important to remember the need for support systems that promote athletic and personal well-being.
