Challenges

The challenges that players face in soccer depends on their age. Club players practice year round until they reach high school, then their season breaks into two. One season, which is in the fall and sometimes during the winter, is club practices. The other season is in the spring with high school practices. As you are playing for both of these two different teams you are beginning to think about college soccer and where you want to go. You have to start as soon as possible, mostly your freshman year in high school, to start contacting college coaches to come watch you play in your soccer games whether it is club or high school. Coaches recommend emailing the colleges due to the Division 1 schools can’t contact you back until your junior year. Even though you email the coaches you most likely won't get a response which is not always bad because they can still come and watch you play. While all of this is happening in the player’s life some fall under the pressure and quit the game entirely.

Players have to sacrifice some of their high school experiences due to club soccer tournaments out of state. Usually the team leaves on the Friday night before their first game which is when most sporting events are scheduled for school. Dances and school activities on the weekend have to be skipped because of the long hours of driving you are doing to attend the tournament your whole team is going to. From experience I have missed many football games and school dances but I waited for my turn and it finally came. Yes I do regret missing everything but in the end it all worked out and it was worth it. Another thing that players have to miss out on is quality time that you spend with your close friends or even boyfriends or girlfriends. During the high school age soccer is your life, you have long practices practically every night and you are out of town for every weekend three months straight. It is hard to be that committed to a sport but if you truly enjoy it, it shouldn't matter.