For most students, summer is a time to travel, relax, and catch up on sleep. For student-athletes, it just means more time for their sport. Many athletes at San Luis Obispo High School choose to go beyond varsity or JV summer programs in order to play on club and travel teams. Whether they are pursuing athletics at the college level or just want to be active in the off-season, Expressions sat down with three athletes on campus to learn more about what it’s like to play sports over the summer.
Expressions: What club team do you play for in the summer?
Senior Brooks Lee (Cal Poly Baseball commit): I play travel baseball with a team called Baseball Performance Academy (BPA) in the summer and they are based out of San Clemente, California. Although the team is from California, we have kids from around the country coming to play with us.
Senior Molly Eppright (Fresno State Volleyball commit): I play club volleyball for 805 Elite volleyball club.
Junior Bailey Frost (Uncommitted): In the summer I play for Central Coast United Soccer Club. We are based out of San Luis Obispo.
Expressions: How often do you travel for practices or tournaments? Where do you go?
Lee: Players on the team are usually unable to join practices because the locations are too far to drive and they are mostly during the week. When summer rolls around I usually play 2-3 tournaments for about a week in states like Georgia, Florida, and Arizona.
Eppright: My club season ends around the beginning of June usually. Throughout the summer I mostly go to Volleyball camps after club ends. For tournaments we go to around six per year. We go to tournaments in Northern California mostly, but we go to a few in Nevada as well.
Frost: I have at least two practices a week and a tournament about every two to three weeks. Our tournaments are all over the place. A lot tend to be in San Diego or Norco, but usually never closer than three hours away. Last season, our “home” field was two hours away in Santa Barbara. Recently we went to Vegas for a showcase tournament which is as far as we will usually travel for an tournament.
Expressions: Why do you play sports over the summer outside of your high school team?
Lee: I play baseball during the summer to receive better competition, which helps me adapt and become a better player. Teams from all over the country come to play in the tournaments I go to which means there is a wider variety of better talent to face.
Eppright: Outside of high school volleyball I play club because it’s a good way to keep training and we face a ton of really good competition.
Frost: I play sports over the summer outside of my high school team for a few reasons. For one, it keeps me in shape. Without soccer I’d find myself on the couch way too often. I also play club so I can continue to strengthen my skills in the sport and be well prepared for the upcoming high school season.
Expressions: Do you work out a lot on your own in the summer as well?
Lee: During the summer is when I have to work the hardest so I can prepare for tournaments and showcase my skills better than before. My routines can be vastly different so I can improve all parts of my body. For example, I weight train, surf, and practice yoga to maintain a healthy body.
Eppright: Throughout the summer I workout almost everyday. I use a program called VolleyStrength and the exercises I do help develop muscle needed for volleyball specifically.
Frost: During the summer I still continue to play club soccer, keeping me in shape, but outside of that I also like to go on runs in the morning when I have the motivation. I am able to maintain a routine by setting a reminder on my phone every day so that I can’t use the excuse of “forgetting” to go on a run.
Expressions: Do you ever feel like you’ve missed out on other activities because of your athletic commitments?
Lee: Baseball has always been an aspect of my life that I prioritize over many activities. Every year I miss school for fair amounts of time and am unable to participate in vacation opportunities because of the sport I love.
Eppright: Doing club sports is definitely a big commitment and you have to miss out on fun things that occur during school like 24 Hour Relay and school dances.
Frost: One of the hardest parts about playing club soccer is the commitment it takes. With all of the tournaments and practices that are always taking place, I find myself constantly missing out on things. Both my freshman and sophomore year I have missed at least three school dances such as Slochella and Winter Formal due to prior commitments in soccer.
