From the lacrosse field outside to the basketball court in the gym, athletes let their talent and hard work shine in the name of Miami Palmetto Senior High every day after the clock hits 2:20 p.m.. However, throughout the hallways and classrooms reside countless unsung stars whose skills are reserved only for their club teams.

Junior, Girls Academy League Advisory Panel Club Representative, team captain and four-time Girls Academy Southeast Talent ID player Golden Brown is a prime example. Starting her club soccer career in second grade, her schedule of outside training, practice, games, ID camps, tournaments, demanding academics and other extracurriculars has left her unable to play school sports since middle school.

“I played school sports for the last time in middle school. I played in sixth grade and then the seasons in seventh and eighth grade got canceled because of COVID-19,” Brown said. “I can’t anymore because the club team I play for now is really competitive. We travel across the country to play, and I don’t really have time between that and my schoolwork. And my club team is an hour and a half away, so I wouldn’t have time to go to both trainings. I feel like I would be overworked if I did both.”

Brown’s hard work is more than paying off, helping her become a star player within the recruitment process with countless scouts coming to watch her team play.

“Focusing on my club team has definitely helped with the recruitment process because there’s a bunch of events, showcases and playoffs that a bunch of schools will come to. At one of our games, I think we had like 30 schools,” Brown said. “I don’t know of anyone who’s been recruited strictly playing high school. So I think club is definitely the way to go to get recruited.”

Despite missing the excitement of school sports and the bonds she made with her friends, Brown feels that her focus on club soccer has given her invaluable skills she will carry for life.

“My favorite thing about my club is that I’m a leader. I’m the club representative for the Girls Academy League Advisory Panel, so I represent my club. It lets me be a leader in my club and also on my team, because I’m a team captain, and I think it’s really helped develop my leadership skills,” Brown said.

Senior Pinecrest Premier Soccer Club player Zachary Bales shares a similar feeling, carrying the leadership skills he has learned by playing soccer outside of school into all aspects of his life. 

“One thing I’ve learned from playing club sports is a sense of leadership, since you’re representing an organization,” Bales said. “You also learn what it’s like to be on a team with people you’ve never met, making you leave your shell and be comfortable with people.”

Playing for Pinecrest Premier since age 14, Bales played on the MPSH soccer team as a sophomore but has since had to play only with his club to balance his other responsibilities, such as working after school. Bales feels that he has made the most of his soccer career by prioritizing his team outside of school, building lifetime friendships and meeting countless new people.

“[The best part about playing club is] the sense of family you make with your teammates,” Bales said. “You get to play so many different people — especially when you travel — that you would never think you would go against.”

While some older, more experienced student-athletes like Brown and Bales have found the value in switching their focus to non-school sports, many underclassmen are gearing up to do the opposite. For example, freshman and outside for Legacy Volleyball Jolena Hargrove has played club volleyball for two years, and plans to try out for the school team next school year.

“I’m gonna try out for the school team next year, and I think I’ll have a much higher chance of making it [than this year],” Hargrove said. “I was really close this year, but I think with practice I’ll get it next time.”

Believing that her club practice will pay off in her goal of eventually representing her school on the court, Hargrove has focused on the unique benefits of playing her sport outside the MPSH gates, such as making friends with players in schools all around Miami.

“[My favorite part of playing club sports is] probably the friends I’ve made from it. They all go to different schools and I wouldn’t have met any of them without it,” Hargrove said. “We’re all the same skill level and they’re all really nice.”