Club sports provide the extra mile - and then some - for young athletes

In sports, athletes search for the competitive edge. To be stronger, faster, smarter. And many young athletes – including those in middle and high school - are looking to sports clubs to increase their skills.

Club sports come with a hefty price tag. One parent said a membership to a soccer club was $3,500 a year; another said it cost $8,000 for his daughter’s lacrosse club. And these do not include the cost of tournaments, travel, uniforms and equipment.

Club sports also come with an enormous commitment of time not only for the athlete but the entire family.

“I have no idea how much we spent to do whatever we had to do to help our daughter, Lola, be the best she could be at soccer,” said Niki Brand of Fredon, N.J. “We have three children, and her club team was an hour and a half away so either myself or my husband would drive her to practices, stay into the night until they were over then drive her home, usually stopping for food along the way as the level of sport left her tired and hungry.”

The rewards are tangible. A number of young athletes earned college scholarships in their sport. This includes a collegiate swimmer who has qualified for the 2028 Olympics and who credits the time spent at swim clubs for his success.

There also are the intangibles.

Emily Popek, of Newton, N.J., competes in both Division 1 rugby and club wrestling at Princeton University where she is a freshman. “Club sports gave me the opportunity to train consistently and compete against high-level athletes, and that environment helped me develop discipline, resilience, confidence, how to manage my time and handle both success and setbacks which are lessons that extend far beyond athletics,” she said. “I do think club sports are worth the investment because of the opportunities and life lessons they provide.”

What follows are some of the stories of young athletes and parents who sought to better develop their athletic skills through sports clubs.

Play ball

Khole Napoli, of Dingmans Ferry, Pa., started playing little league when she was three years old. Since then, she’s transitioned to doing travel and, at age 14, is already on a Division II 2030 college “watch list” for Western Connecticut University.

“She plays shortstop, and we took her to a Showcase last June 13th and they were interested,” said her mother, Tracy Napoli. “She competes on both a club team for softball as well as for Dingman Delaware Middle School. She also plays competitive volleyball.”

The family travels for Khole’s practices, games and tournaments which is a six-day of the week commitment year round. The travel club team is called the Angels and is based out of Matamoras, Pa.

“On top of it all, she’s a great student and made the high honor roll,” her mother said.

Club softball takes a lot of work, but also comes with some very fun events like when the team dressed up as the Savannah Bananas last Halloween. The Bananas combine baseball with random dances and gymnastics, so the girls had a blast with that.

Cost is $1,600 per year to sign up for the program and get a uniform. Other costs include new cleats and hotels that can run around $1,500 plus costs for food for Khole and the family.

“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do, it comes from overcoming what you thought you couldn’t do,” Khole Napoli said. “The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win.”

Skiing

Karen Heald Bess of Warwick, N.Y., has two children, Dylan (15) and Addison (9) who both race for the Mt. Peter Ski Team.

”Dylan started ski racing in the Dynamites program and recently completed his fifth year on the team. Addison followed the same path through the Dynamites program and just completed her third season,” she said. “Throughout the season, they are typically skiing six, if not seven days a week. This past winter alone, our family skied over 90 days across nine different mountains, which tells you how much skiing means to us.”

“One of the greatest strengths of the Mr. Peter Ski Team is its coaches,” Heald Bess added. “Having a dedicated team of coaches at each age level allows for individual attention, ensuring that each racer receives guidance that focuses on their abilities and goals. Off-season training plays a critical role in preparing for the season.”

Last summer, Dylan traveled to Austria with Mount Peter and Waterville Valley ski race teams for 10 days of training on the Hintertux Glacier. “That experience allowed him to stay on the snow, learn to take care of his own ski equipment and train at a high level before the start of the season,” Heald Bess said. “In addition, Dylan trained three days a week in November with a group of skiers at Intrepid Strength and Conditioning in Warwick.”

Per kid, Heald Bess said it costs about $1,600 for the practices for the season (about 14 hours a week). The races are $200 and a season pass is $400.

“Skis and boots could be as cheap as getting someone’s used skis to purchasing brand new ones for $400 to $800 depending on the age and kid,” she said.

“The Mt. Peter Ski Team is truly special. It is a positive and supportive environment that helps grow skiers’ confidence and independence. Dylan and Addison have learned how to be responsible and push themselves while still enjoying a sport they love,” Heald Bess said. “Equally important is the sense of community the race team provides. The Mt. Peter’s race program is more than racing, it is a race family.”

‘Focusing on doing your best’

Craig Kalucki runs Inner Piece Rising Mentoring and Coaching in Goshen, N.Y. His programs include skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing and hiking.

Jackie Onorato’s son Joshua Butterworth works with Kalucki.

“Josh has been in therapy since he was five, and at a certain age, talk therapy didn’t work,” she said. “We found Craig when Josh was 14 and Craig started teaching him how to skateboard at his Goshen facility while engaging Josh in conversation. We’ve never seen such self-confidence in Josh since he started working with Craig, and this weekend, Josh competed in his first mountain bike race. The way Craig combines sports with therapy is truly amazing.”

“Sports are such a positive outlet for kids, especially these days with all of the technology,” Kalucki said. “I think team aspects are good, but with my programs, kids don’t have the pressure of competition. We build self-worth without kids having to rely on a teammate or coach. Skateboarding is kind of like running on a track team: you’re part of a team but it’s on you.”

By engaging kids in skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing and hiking, Kalucki uses his background as a therapist in the context of sports to work with kids.

“They’re not forced to sit on a couch in an office,” he said. “Therapy doesn’t have to be a one trick pony.”

As to club sports, he said they can put a lot of pressure on kids.

“Club sports are like big pharma and have become the norm, but they don’t have to be,” Kalucki said. “I’ve seen many kids quit club sports because of the expectations or the way a coach handles a program. The Goshen community has really rallied around what we do here: focusing on doing your best.”

From club meets to the Olympic trials

Billy Ruddy, from Hampton, N.J., is a senior at Ryder College, and his resume as a swimmer at such a young age is epic. He has qualified for the 2028 US Olympic trials in a short course pool (25 yards) with a time he is required to hit again in an Olympic sized pool which he is confident he can do.

“Club swimming with several clubs over the years from a young age absolutely helped me swim for Ryder and now advance as far as I can go,” he said. “Club swimming pushes you a lot and it’s not easy, but that’s the point as it makes you reach deep down inside and bring out the best in yourself.”

‘To see their potential’

Brooke Ginsberg of Newton, N.J., started travel soccer in 5th grade and then went to club by 7th grade. Travel teams are a springboard to clubs and are less intense, involve more local games and tournaments and come with a lower price tag. Going to club ups the ante, the time commitment and the price tag.

“Travel is only about $500 a year and not as competitive,” said Brooke’s mom, Elaine Smolinski. “Club is at least $3,500 a year and you’re going to different states and tournaments. I believe it’s important to go to a club if the child wants to play in college because that’s the only way for them to see their potential.”

Kutztown University, a Division 2 school in Pennsylvania, reached out to Brooke after a scout saw her playing on her PDA club team in Florida at a “showcase” along with many other colleges.

Playing Division 1 or 2 can earn an athlete sports scholarship money. Division 3 is also highly competitive, but does not offer money.

“Kean University (D3) also showed up to every one of her games and wrote her letters for months, but as a child, all she could think about was getting to D2 because in her mind that was better,” Smolinski said.

Brooke committed to Kutztown. But as her mother explained: “She was not a fan of the military style soccer and the school couldn’t provide her with the classes she needed for her major, so after one semester, she transferred to Kean where she is extremely happy playing goalie and pursuing her academics.”

‘The best she could be’

“I have no idea how much we spent to do whatever we had to do to help our daughter, Lola, be the best she could be at soccer,” said Niki Brand of Fredon, N.J. “We have three children, and her club team was an hour and a half away so either myself or my husband would drive her to practices, stay into the night until they were over then drive her home, usually stopping for food along the way as the level of sport left her tired and hungry.”

The Brands traveled to places including California and Barcelona, Spain, so that Lola could compete in tournaments of the highest order.

“There was a lot of pressure,” Niki Brand said. “Each practice meant having your best game on and academically, Lola had to balance studying in the car to and from practice due to the time commitment.”

Lola did great and was approached to play soccer at many colleges, but in the end, academics won as on top of all of the time playing in high school plus the huge commitment to the club, she was accepted into Penn State University.

“Yes, club is worth it,” Lola said, “But not necessarily for reasons people think. It wasn’t just about the level we played at or the possibility of college soccer, it was worth it because it pushed me to grow as a person. I learned discipline, resilience and how to handle pressure at a really young age. Those lessons stay with you long after the games are over.”