Are clubs taking over high school sports?

[rainbowgirl28]

It sounds like track and field is one of the last high school sports to remain stronger at the high school level than the club level. Besides football of course.

http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 50302/1002

Student athletes torn by conflicting loyalties
Opportunities often better at club level
By HAP FRY
HapFry@coloradoan.com


Just like the Beach Boys, Megan Evans and Kristin Viger wanted to be true to their school.

Unfortunately for the two Fort Collins High School seniors, they believed that loyalty was getting in the way of their goals.

Thought by many to be two of the top swimmers in the state, Evans, who will swim at Oregon State University in the fall, and Viger, who will swim at Missouri, quit their high school team in January.

Their reasons? Each said the commitment of attending high school practices over workouts with their club team, Loveland Swim Club, could hurt their development as swimmers.

"High school practices are about 3,000 yards less than I need and can get at Loveland," Evans said shortly after making her decision. "I feel bad that it had to come to this, and I feel bad that I had to leave and let my teammates down, but I need that training to do well at meets."

At the very least, Evans and Viger's decisions raise an interesting question.

Is participation in club sports becoming more important than participating on a high school team?

Back when the Beach Boys were in their prime, the answer would have been a resounding no. Now, it's not so clear.

Other than football, there isn't a high school sport that's not offered at the club level. And while club participation in wrestling and track and field might be de-emphasized in comparison to competing on a high school team, it certainly is not that way with many other sports.

"If I had to pick between club soccer and high school soccer, I'd go with club," said Rocky Mountain soccer player Estelle Johnson, who will attend the University of Kansas on a soccer scholarship in the fall. "I love playing high school soccer, but there is just much more competitiveness in club."

Johnson's high school coach, Cheryl Ingham, agrees.

"It's all about club now," Ingham said. "None of (college recruiting) happens at high school (games) anymore. (College coaches) may come and watch one (high school) game, but that's because they can watch so many more games and see so many more players at a club tournament.â€Â

[achtungpv]

Hopefully.

Of course for this to happen, USATF would have to get their act together. Good luck on that happening this century.

[rainbowgirl28]

I would not like to see pole vaulting become a club-only sport. The one thing that makes the US different from most other countries is that pole vault is available to almost anybody, regardless of natural talent and financial means.

Now I know that lower-income schools are a lot less likely to have pole vault, and that many high school coaches won't let the weakest, slowest kids try pole vaulting, but there is still much more of an opportunity to try it here.

I would love to see MORE clubs, and I would love to see high school coaches become more educated so that we have LESS idiots out there.

But I would not like to see clubs replace high school pole vault. That would be a shame.

[vcpvcoach]

Becca, you are so wise.

I know that most high school AD would love to scuddle the pole vault program. The largest school in this area drop the vault a few years back.

If they think that they can rely on a club program, many schools would drop the vault without hesitation.

[shiftydavaulter]

i know our school doesnt feel a need to hire a vault coach so my team and i go to a club (kiss the sky). its funny they dont think we need a coach considering weve got 2 kids over 15' and two more who are about to break through

[ladyvolspvcoach]

I agree with Becca. There needs to be a really healthy high school pole vaulting community. The biggest drawback is the number of totally uneducated high school coaches in the country. Not that there aren't many very good ones, but their community is much smaller than that of those that don't know how to coach it. I would much rather see states adopt a certification requirement for pole vault coaches rather than make some of the rules that are emerging in the name of safety.

[CowtownPV]

I feel like many people are trying to pull the pole vault away from Track & Field and I don't think this will work. Pole vault only events are a blast but I don't think the vault would survive by itself. So what we need is more support for the sport in general. Many HS coaches are responsible for several events. I have a great situation in that we have 5 coaches for the boys but most schools have 2 or 3. So not only do they not have a PV coach but they don't have a high jump or shot put coach either. There has to be a way that clubs and school programs can exist togethor.