Maia Chin, Reporter

During the weekend of April the 11th, the semi finals and finals of the annual soccer Association Cup were held in Redding. The under 19 local girls’ team, the Missfits Renegades, battled through several consecutive weekends of difficult matches to progress to the finals. There, despite the stormy skies and large crowds, they won 2-0 against the Petaluma United Red Devils.

For sports teams such as the Renegades, the intense training sessions and tournaments can take not only copious amounts of time and energy, but also drain money and social opportunities from the players and their families. What is it that drives teens such as the aforementioned athletes to give up so much of their free time to spend it playing sports?

“For me,” decides Jeff Stone (7) “Sports are more about having fun and staying fit. Whenever I’m bored I go for a run, and I play soccer because it’s so much fun.”

For a club athlete, however, it has to be more than just ‘having fun.’ When the weather is oppressive, either 105 degrees in the summer, or hailstorms in the dead of winter, practices are still held and players are expected to show up. Such a strong commitment to a team is built by more than just the love of the sport; it also has a lot to do with the connection to the members of the team themselves.

“Growing up with my soccer team has been like spending 5 straight years with sisters,” says Cynthia Yee (12), the starting defender for the Missfits Renegades. “We’ve spent 10 or more hours per week together ever since we were all eleven, and when you get that close to your team, you have a new sense of responsibility. I may not exactly go to practice for the training itself, it is because of that emotional attachment we all have for each other and the commitment we have made to show up to each practice and game.”

While the unique feeling of being part of a team and belonging to a larger group is irreplaceable, it is also crucial that balance is maintained. Kids and teens cannot be expected to commit fully to just one aspect of their life, be it their sports team, friends, or school. The difficult part of this juggling act can be handled by working to manage all the different component of a healthy living.

“Soccer has always been important to me, and it’s also taught me a lot of time management,” says sophomore at Shasta High, Lizzy Lupercio (10). “I usually have a lot of homework, and playing soccer has actually helped me because it relieves a lot of stress.

I don’t have to think about school or anything for the couple of hours I’m at practice, and because of that, when I get home I’m already relaxed enough to start homework right then instead of being anxious about finishing it.” Adrianna Matagulay (10) another student athlete at Shasta High, agrees with Lizzy.

“It’s mostly about learning to manage time. If you work hard to get the grade, you can do it.” Being an efficient time manager is crucial to harmonizing any myriad of activities, but with the incredible amount of time that sports and schoolwork can take from everyday life, organization becomes even more important. Learning to work with a sports passion and still survive school is possible, and “sports also provide a new opportunity to meet new people” as Ian Martin, a U-Prep graduate of ’09, says.