Club organizations have a vast variety of levels and pull players from multiple different schools, while varsity sports are made up of students at one school that compete against other schools. The dynamic between club and varsity sports differs a lot between sports.

For some sports, the club season is much more competitive, while for others, varsity is more competitive. For football, high school players are not allowed to play club. No matter the sport and level of play, varsity creates a unique atmosphere for the players.“High school is a fun environment. You see your teammates every day in the hallways and become closer with them. You get to play in front of your classmates and friends,” Daniel Min, ‘26, said. 

Min is a varsity soccer player at WHHS. For soccer, the club season is seen as a superior level of play. “Club is definitely more intense. The purpose of club is to prepare you for college soccer and that is why it is so much more intense,” Min said.

For some sports, there are only a handful of high-level clubs per region which creates a big talent pool for them to pull from. However, playing for one of these clubs can often create conflicts with a student’s class schedule. “Club is not merciful to your school schedule. There is a lot of traveling that you have to miss school for,” Min said.

For other sports, such as lacrosse, the opposite is true. The club season is over the summer and has a different level of competitiveness. “My club team definitely has a lower level of skill and the environment is much more relaxed,” Lucy Whedon, a player on the varsity lacrosse team at WHHS, ‘24, said. 

Although the skill level may be different, club teams have one thing in common no matter the sport; the cost. Clubs charge a big fee just to play for the team. This along with expenses for traveling can add up to thousands of dollars. “There are a lot of expenses when it comes to club, but when you find the club that best fits you I feel like it is definitely worth it,” said Whedon.