PREP VOICES : Club Sports Provide Polish, but at What Cost?

Club programs give young athletes opportunities to play such sports as soccer, softball, swimming and volleyball year-round. They help provide the skills and polish necessary to compete at the high school, college and national levels.

Clubs can often provide better facilities, stronger competition, more personal attention and professional expertise in a particular sport.

But at what cost?

Club sports can be a lucrative business. It has been estimated that expenses for club volleyball players can be as much as $2,000 per year, with club softball players and swimmers spending nearly $1,000. And though club coaches say offers of college scholarships are more likely to come to their charges, not even the most prestigious clubs can make any guarantees.

If an athlete wants to specialize in a sport--a conclusion reached on his or her own or by a club coach demanding commitment--what’s the harm?

Many, including high school coaches, believe the harm comes when athletes 13 to 18 years old are skipping softball or track seasons because they are concentrating on club soccer. They feel club sports rob the child of varied experiences that playing multiple sports offers. But make no mistake, high school coaches have something at stake, too--they feel they are being robbed of athletes.

Whose interests are really at stake?