Joining club sport teams is a huge time and money commitment. So, many people don't know if they are necessary or even worth it. There isn't an easy answer to whether or not you HAVE to join a club team, but depending on your goals, it may be something that you need to look into. 

What are Your Goals?
If your goals are to play Division 1 soccer, the answer is most often: yes, you need to be in a competitive club setting. There are some rare cases that players get recruited based solely on ID Clinics or through high school, but across the board, coaches are looking for people through club team connections. This might be a flaw in the recruiting system, but it is the bitter truth.

Coaches Want to See Commitment throughout All Seasons
A drawback to not joining a club is that you are basing your development on high school soccer, which is often not very competitive and only lasts for one season. Coaches want to see commitment throughout all seasons so you can develop as much as possible before getting into college, and to show that you are ready to make that kind of commitment.

Playing Club Will Expose You to More Coaches
Only playing in games for one season will hold back your development as a soccer player and put you behind other athletes who are playing throughout multiple seasons. In addition, playing in a club allows you to potentially play top competition from around the country. This gives you exposure to a greater list of schools and potential opportunities when going through the recruiting process.

* Originally published on November 29, 2021, by Andrea Leitner