Subscribe to the NCSA BlogImpact of Club/Travel Teams
June 23rd, 2009 - byThe rise of the club or travel team has been astonishing. Club teams bring together the top high school talent to compete with other similar teams across the country. Parents pay hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, along with hours of their time in order for their children to play on these teams. Their hope is that the team will lead to bigger and better things for their rising athlete; whether it be high school stardom, collegiate athletics, or even breaking into the professional rankings. The question comes to mind as to what the actual impacts of these travel teams are. One idea is that the higher rate of competitions helps to develop a player’s skill set. Another is that college recruiters are more drawn to these teams because the top high school players are in a higher concentration than the average high school games.
While the latter argument is valid, there are flaws in the former. The higher competition in travel games is beneficial to players. They have to learn to adjust their skill set and limit mistakes in order to succeed against gifted players. This makes them far more prepared for any kind of competition because they have proven they can play at a higher level. However, the presence of more talented players does not vicariously make athletes more appealing to college coaches. The presence of coaches at club games mirrors that of their presence at camps and showcases. Coaches go to watch games with the intent of scouting players they are already interested in, not to find new talent. While there are exceptions to this idea, sometimes a player may perform so well they can spark interest in a coach; these situations are limited to exceptions. Club coach Kyle Vierck puts it best in saying that, “A player is a player no matter where he or she is at. As much as players want to think that every time I go out to play a club match somebody is watching, that is just not the case. What it boils down to is young people and their families pursuing the school and really making an effort to do it. Ultimately, taking the initiative is so important.”
Getting your name out there is the hardest part of the recruiting process. Coaches obviously cannot assess their need for you if they do not know who you are. Players and parents need to take the first step in order to achieve their dreams of college athletics. The keys are to get started early and make yourself known. One ways to do this is to understand that college coaches evaluate talent online through reliable sources such as the NCSA.
