As the high school soccer season begins in late February, club soccer teams are getting ready for one of the biggest tournaments of the year, the Jefferson Cup. An invitation-only tournament for the most elite club teams in the country, hundreds of college coaches come from as far as California, to identify prospects for their college soccer team. With preparation for high school soccer and the Jefferson Cup both beginning in February, many girls’ soccer players face a tough decision.

Playing on a year round travel team that is very competitive, My travel coach expects that we attend every practice and every game, regardless if whether or not we play for our high school team. He consistently reminds us that club soccer should be our priority, not high school soccer.

Personally, I think that it is absolutely absurd that club coaches put this much pressure on their players.  With the amount of time—and money—we put in throughout the entire year, club players deserve the fun and relaxed environment that high school soccer provides.

Playing for your high school gives memories that you will hold for a lifetime. Thirty years from now, I’ll remember winning the state championship as a sophomore with my high school team, not winning some tournament with my club team that we’ll probably play in a dozen more times.

The Washington Post recently wrote an article about the tough decision that high school girls face when it comes to choosing between their high school and club soccer teams. Following several girls from Stone Bridge High School, reporter Brandon Parker explored why they decided to not try out for their high school. Unsurprisingly, their coach said that if they chose to play for their high school, they would not get the proper training and skills they would need to play at the college level. Although I felt sorry for the girls in the article, the story was all too familiar for me. It just does not make sense to me that coaches are forcing their players to only play club, when high school soccer is just a few months out of the year.

I also completely disagree with the idea that playing high school soccer is a “less challenging environment.” If anything, being involved with my high school team has made me a better player all around. Being around players ranging from the grades freshmen to seniors, high school soccer has taught me leadership on the field.

Club coaches also have this ridiculous idea that playing for high school during club season will limit your opportunity to be seen by college coaches. Although you may miss some important tournaments, being selected for an All Conference or All District team can expose you to many different schools for being named as one of the top players in the area. College coaches also like to see highlight tapes from your club games as well as film from high school games, to show how you work with different players from all different levels.

Soccer creates memories and moments that will last a lifetime. Even though club soccer can give you opportunities that can help you play at the next level, high school soccer provides a more relaxed environment that help young players develop strong leadership skills. The way club soccer coaches are restricting their kids from playing high school soccer is absurd and unnecessary.