Year after year, the performance of high school athletes during their respective seasons gains the spotlight of every local newspaper’s sports section. What spectators don’t often see is the work athletes put in to their sport during the off-season through club sports.

Off-season, while it may seem like the time for athletes to relax, is grind time for athletes involved in club sports. Intense workouts, distant practices and miles and miles of traveling for games can become a reoccurring theme for an athlete the moment they become invested in the sport.

“…when I was six I started playing club sports,” sophomore soccer player Mikayla Suess said.

Suess started playing for her love of the game. “When I was very young I… did not want a break from [soccer] and club allows you to play year round,” Suess said.

Others, while they do love the sport, are involved with club teams to improve and gain college experience.

“When I first started I just played because I enjoyed it,” senior Mckendree softball commit Allison Loehr said. “I realized that I wanted to continue in college and I’m so glad that I’ve earned the opportunity to.”

A large part of what makes club sports so selective is the time commitment for athletes and their families and the speed at which the athletes play the game.

“Club ball is much more competitive… I practiced in a place an hour away from where I live,” senior volleyball player Mike Horton said. “…the hardest part would be prioritizing time, whether it be for friends, family or school.”

This intensity and the sacrifices that come with it often force athletes to decide what is best for them.

“I stopped playing [club soccer] when I got to high school mainly because I was also doing other school sports and homework really conflicted,” Suess said. “I still love the game; it just seems that I don’t have as much time for it.”

Between the grueling amount of hours of work and dedication club athletes still find the positives in everything they do for their sport.

“I’ve made so many good memories from playing and have had such a blast that it’s worth it,” Loehr said. “[Playing club softball] has taught me persistence and how to work hard and never give up.”