Club sport participation has become a common evil to the high school coach.  My philosophy on club sports is a very easy one.  I can't stop you/your child from taking part, but I can warn you of the health hazards.  Studies are constantly being done that show, over and over again, that adolescent athletes taking part in more than one sport in the same season have a much higher rate of injury than those only doing one.  The reason:  their bodies don't get enough rest.  Studies are also showing that adolescent athletes should NOT be participating in the same sport year round.  This is being shown to increase the rate of overuse injuries in all ages and both genders.  Common overuse injuries are:  stress fractures, hip and ankle problems, increased muscle pulls, and increased rates of back problems.

I would love to see the day of the two and three sport athletes come back.  Instead, we've created a society of specialists, all in search of the scholarship.  Unfortunately, the scholarships are extremely rare, and usually give back less than what the parents paid in club/"select" team fees.

The WIAA has a very specific rule geared toward limiting club sport participation.

    18.22.3 Schools may not give students special treatment or privileges on a regular basis to enable them to participate in non-school athletic activities, such as         reduced practice times, special workouts, late arrivals, or early dismissals.

If you'd like to read the whole rule, Click Here  look on page 43.