Training in the off-season for athletes can be difficult; however with club sports as an option, staying fit and agile without the athlete’s regular team is made easier.

There are some differences between the regular season and club season, however.

“[The main difference between regular season and off season is] the way we compete. In club season we only compete in tournaments, unlike in fall season we play one game a day,” junior Emily Dodge said.

Dodge has been playing volleyball for four years, starting in seventh grade, and has been playing with some of the same girls since the beginning. The team has tryouts every season, which keeps a fresh team on the floor every season.

“My team changes every year. I do play with some of the same people though, depending on where I go to play,” Dodge said.

The team is focused on unity and cohesion during plays, from practices to competitions.

“Training is really just practicing our rotations and making sure everyone is on the right page,” said Dodge.

Club soccer is very similar to club volleyball. They travel all over for competitions and work just as hard as in the regular season.

“There’s really no way to describe [playing]. You work every day and it all just comes together into one seamless moment whenever you win. It’s just the best when you win a big game like we did against

Borgia,” junior Logan Houf said.

The soccer time has had many significant wins, most recently, Borgia, and the cohesiveness of the team contributes to their victories.

“For the past few years I’ve been playing with guys that I’ve played with all my life so there hasn’t been many big changes. But playing together with all those guys really helps your team chemistry a lot and this coming year well have some new faces playing with us that we haven’t played too much with before so it’ll be interesting to see how it works out,” Houf said.

While Dodge and Houf play at RHS during the regular season, junior Peter Beaugard plays for Parkway West High School on their hockey team as an out of district player. Beaugard plays high school during the winter, and club year round.

“Club [sports are] more intense [than regular season]. The players are older and more developed. However they are both equally as fun,” said Beaugard.

For Beaugard, his dream is to play hockey in college and professionally, aspiring to be in the NHL (National Hockey League).

“[I would play for] the Blues [if I could]. They have one of the strongest fan bases in the NHL and it would be close to home,” Beaugard said.

Like most sports players, Beaugard is looking forward to playing with his best friends this season and making the most of the season.

“Most of my friends are seniors and graduating, and I really want to make the most of this season for them,” said Beaugard.